Beginning the End of the Year
by Hoffs2
Summary: Tom and Judy begin to take their relationship to the next level... but Booker has other plans. A series.
1. Beginning the End of the Year

**Chapter 1. Beginning the End of the Year**

_At the Jump Street chapel. Tom, Judy, Ioki, and Doug sit at their desks in a cluster, obviously bored, all reading. It's the last week before high school summer vacation. _

Tom Hanson couldn't take his eyes off of her, his sometimes partner, Judy Hoffs. Sitting next to Penhall, he looked over slyly while pretending to read a book. She was so close to him, reclined at her desk chair, ankles crossed and feet propped on the top. He wanted to reach his hand out and touch the dark curls framing her perfect face, run a finger along one of the thick red hoop earrings that dangled from her ears. Judy had great style, and had even taught Tom how to dress for the undercover work four years ago when he first came to Jump Street.

He didn't quite know what to make of her back then. The doe eyed and formerly brown haired Officer Hoffs. She was gorgeous as hell, that was for sure. But she didn't seem to be into him or anyone else. Lord knows Doug sure tried. Ioki too. Even Jenko once said that nothing could hold him back if he'd been fifteen years younger, and Captain Fuller, who thought of her as a daughter, admitted that he often put Judy out as surefire bait to gain young men's trust and help solve their cases. That's how they'd been able to get that big pot dealer to turn himself in, and how they'd captured a street gang leader who took over a high school.

Tom felt worried the first time that Fuller assigned him to work with Judy. Mostly because he didn't know Fuller well yet and missed Jenko. Also because he felt so comfortable with his best friend and usual partner, Penhall, the sensitive clown. Fortunately, working with Judy alone had turned out to be great. Really great. By personality, and also because of the impact on him after his father died, Tom usually came off as a warm yet reserved person. The women he normally dated said that they found him attractive because he seemed "mysterious" and, at a laugh to Tom, described him with words like smoldering and intense. But Tom had never agreed. "Nah, I'm just a cop. A cop who likes to bowl."

"You've got to loosen up, Hansen,"was the first thing that Judy told him, smiling, a pink bandana tied like a headband around her thick hair. With her, as partners and friends, he found himself opening up more and more. He liked how she always smiled and laughed at his sarcastic jokes. How she was smart and professional, and also bold enough to tell him or any other cop around when they were out of line or had gone too far. From her clothes to her police work, Judy was creative. She'd even helped Doug convince him to be in the McQuaid brothers, a routine he truly got a kick out of and loved acting with Penhall.

After everything that he and Judy had been through together and the lows they'd seen each other through, the worst of it being Amy's death, and then the rape, both of which he wished he could have prevented and saved each woman from, their true bond was in how much they both cared about police work and how their actions affected people. Both innocent and perps. In all honesty, Tom was beginning to regret some of the busts that he'd made over the years. After his brief stint going undercover in juvenile lock-up, running things as the shot caller, he began to question the effectiveness of the system and how sending these kids to the inside was like sending them to hell. Especially the good kids who'd just made mistakes or gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd. Judy felt the same way.

One night at the chapel, they were alone together working late to fill out their reports. Tom had been quieter and much more tense than usual, his jaw line tight. Judy noticed and suggested that they get out of there, to go for a drive and get some air. She brought him up to lover's lane on the north shore, which surprised Tom but just made Judy laugh. She'd spent some time there during a hazing case and liked to visit it again whenever she needed a quiet place to come and sort out her thoughts.

"The kids sure picked a great place," she told him. Tom laughed too. Sitting there under the moonlight in his brown leather jacket, with her there next to him in a pink off-shoulder sweater, they looked like they could be a couple in one of those high school movies. Not usually his style. Tom noticed how deeply the work of pretending had taken over his life.

"What makes you want to be a cop, Hoffs?"Tom had asked her, looking for an answer that maybe he could share himself.

"I want to make a difference with my life. Why, Tom?"

"I don't know if I want to do this anymore. I don't know if I want to keep being a cop."

Judy didn't say anything back to him at first. Then, his movie girlfriend turned her slim body to face him and rested the side of her face against the headrest. Their deep brown eyes locked, and seemingly from out of nowhere, it was like a loud pop and firecracker sparklers went off inside of his mind. Tom broke from her eyes and turned his head down, a habit he had of going inside his mind to think. When he looked up, Judy's face was still there watching him, and he met her coffee eyes once again.

Right then and there, Tom Hansen realized that he was completely in love with Judy Hoffs.

"You're the best person I know_…" _He told her, even surprising himself. Judy's face registered an expression of faint confusion. She began to form her lips to speak, but Tom didn't give her a chance. His forehead softly moved to meet hers. Tom lingered, and could feel her warm exhalation against his cheek. His eyes swept around her face, taking it all in, and he felt bashful each time their eyes briefly locked. Tom traced a finger down the arm of her pink sweater.

"Jude…" he whispered, and then kissed her.


	2. On Their Way

_Note: Thanks so much to everyone who's reading, and especially to those who have posted reviews! I miss Jump Street, and wish they'd remake this series on television soon! Glad that we can keep it alive together.  
_

**Chapter 2. **

_Early afternoon at the Jump Street Chapel, in Fuller's Office_

"As you've probably heard on the news, guys, a college student died last week in Puerto Rico from an accidental drug overdose," began Captain Adam Fuller, standing behind his desk and wearing a thin slate sweater that put most of his peers' wardrobes to shame. "Intelligence says that a supplier on the island has been feeding the stuff to kids like its candy." Fuller heard a chorus of sad groans and looked out at the attractive bunch of his top-performing officers. He made an expression to show that the news of kids dying and a local connection upset him too.

"Back when _I_ was young and my father was a busboy struggling to make ends meet for our household, spring break for me meant that I needed to take advantage of working extra hours at my own job to save a little money."

"_How_ long ago was that, Captain?" Officer H.T. Ioki asked jokingly. "Times certainly have changed."

"You're right," replied Fuller, pinching his chic silk pants and looking down at expensive leather shoes. "Nowadays, we've got more rich and middle-class kids than ever before, many of them taking spring break as an opportunity to cut loose on expensive vacations, spending up their parents' money and killing their own brain cells."

Doug Penhall, Fuller's most wisecracking officer, took the opportunity to interject, raising his voice from where he sat wide legged and backwards on one of the captain's office chairs. "Kids must be losing their creativity. I never had to spend too much money to have a little fun and kill a few brain cells!" The other officers took the opportunity to join in.

"I bet you didn't even have to try too hard, Douggie!" Tom quipped and sent his best friend a wink.

"Yeah, Douglas," added Dennis Booker. "Otherwise, Penhall, spending money like these rich kids, you'd probably be broke." Booker raised his thick eyebrows and smirked.

"_My_ guess is that you'd _all_ be broke," Judy Hoffs sassily threw back at her partners. "And, no offense, but why is Dennis here? This _detective_ wants to hear her next assignment." Adam smiled at her and began to speak once again, but he did notice that Judy didn't seem to be paying as close attention as usual. Her behavior worried the captain, as he had a soft spot for Judy, his bravest female officer.

...

Unintentionally ignoring the captain, Judy's mind drifted from learning about the group's new assignment. Instead, the memory of her night with Tom played over and over again in her head. She'd actually stayed late at the chapel just to be able to spend some one-on-one time near Hanson without any of their other friends around. But Judy had no idea that Tom was feeling the same way, and his kiss was a total surprise. In response, she'd kissed Hanson back and felt herself melt into him. But then suddenly, to Judy's surprise, Tom stopped cold, stepped out of the car, and suggested that he walk home alone.

That was four days ago and Tom had kept his distance from her ever since. Judy caught him staring at her earlier today though, while he pretended to read a book. _I just don't understand! _Judy thought to herself, frustrated by a usually reliable Hanson's erratic behavior. _What about the kiss?_

"Hoffs!" Judy looked up to see the captain standing right in front of her, vivid concern registering on his face. "I'm not sure what you don't understand. What kiss?" Realizing that she'd accidentally spoken out loud, Judy began to blush.

"So does my all-work-and-no-play partner have a secret boyfriend?" Harry asked Judy, loudly, from where he was leaned back against the office wall next to Fuller's scull sculpture. Slyly, Judy glanced across the room at Tom. "Did you just ask the captain a question, Hanson?"

"I did!" Hanson jumped to her aid. "So captain, what's all this about coconuts, margaritas, and a free trip to Puerto Rico? Let me guess! The resort circuit needs a few undercover dentists?"

"You got it, Hanson," Fuller answered after giving Judy one last quizzical look. "I want all five of you down to Puerto Rico by tomorrow morning. You'll pose as spring breakers looking to get high. We need to find the supplier and bring him back here for trial. You won't have much time to work, so I need you to make the bust by the end of break."

"You mean by Sunday night?" Judy exclaimed, feeling even more overwhelmed, as her personal life and work life simultaneously revved into high gear. "Captain, that leaves us only six days!"

"Exactly. There's no time to waste. On technicality, Booker has to be the one to officially transport the prisoner. None of you can since Puerto Rico is out of our state. Booker can make a citizen's arrest."

"We suspect that the dealer is also based here, in our neck of the woods," continued the captain. "He's also most likely very dangerous, as most dealers of that size operation are. Listen to me now. As soon as Booker makes the arrest, all of you need to head directly to the airport together and fly back home at once. You'll need to get off of the island before the dealer's goons come looking for you."

"This does sound dangerous," Ioki remarked.

"Buddy," Dennis replied, his eyes cold. "Is there any other way?"

"Well I'm glad that you feel that way, Dennis, because you and Hanson will be sharing a room at the Atlantic Beach Hotel." Judy watched and laughed as the two men exchanged horrified looks. "Judy will be your third roommate."

"Captain!" She exclaimed, changing from an expression of amusement to near terror.

"Maybe this is starting to look up," Dennis remarked and cocked his head to the side.

"Captain!" Judy yelled and jumped to her feet. "I think I should have my own room."

"What? No!" Dennis stepped forward toward her playfully. "This just may be _my_ dream come true. What about you, Tommy?"

"CAPTAIN!" Judy challenged again and pushed Booker away from her.

"Geez, Hoffs," Dennis responded to her shove, taken aback. "I was just joking."

"Sorry, Judy, there's no possibility for that." Fuller shrugged and gave her a regretful look. "A room alone would really be stretching my budget. More importantly, it wouldn't be safe for you. Look, Booker promised that he won't bite. So there's no problem. Great." He turned away from her angry gaze and faced toward the other two roommate officers. Judy noticed that Tom's face was like a stone.

"Hanson and Booker, you're high-roller party types. Hoffs will be dating Hanson."

"WHAT?" Judy jumped up from her seat again, meeting the captain's very puzzled expression and working hard to control her obvious emotion. "I mean, I usually play single. What's with all these change ups, captain?"

"We'll there's got to be a reason for you three all sharing the room, Judy. And I think my idea is more believable than you going under as their sister." Fuller paused. "Holding Hanson's hand on the beach won't kill you. You'll wash, won't you Hanson?"

"Certainly," Tom replied.

"Great. Moving on. Penhall and Ioki will be next door at the Prado hotel. You two are fraternity brothers trying to pick up chicks—" Startling them all, herself included, Judy turned on her heels and stormed from Fuller's office, leaving all five men with their mouths open and wondering what had just happened.

"Geez," Dennis said and raised his thick eyebrows once again, this time in disbelief. "Judy must be on her period."

"Knock it off," Tom replied harshly and stood up. "Captain, I'll try and figure out what's going on with her?"

"Go ahead. Thanks, Hanson. And watch out that she doesn't bite your head off."

...

Judy made her way through the busy chapel and headed upstairs to her locker. "Thank god for all this racket," she said to herself, moving past two officers in leather vests, chains, and Mohawks. Alice Cooper's signature screech blasted from their boom box. At the next desk over, another pair of officers dressed head to toe in Cross Colours worked on setting up a bust. Judy laughed at the extreme costumes, thinking about how much she'd grown up in her own police work over the past few years and no longer felt the need to look so over the top. They'd all changed so much since the Jump Street program first started, her partners Penhall, Ioki, and… Tom. Especially Tom. Judy couldn't lie to herself.

"Drat," Judy hated that she lost control back in Fullers office, but this tension with Hanson and his odd behavior really had her thrown for a loop. She hated how this man was messing with her emotions. Judy bent over, tossed a small red purse over one shoulder, and began packing her police gear into a small green duffle. "Handcuffs… Check. Badge… Check. Firearm…" Suddenly behind her, Judy saw a pair of men's boots, and a shadow cast over the shoulder and onto the inside of the locker door.

"Firearm, huh?" Tom stood behind her with a sheepish grin, one arm raised behind his head, hand in his hair. "That's not for me is it?" He kept his grin but looked down at the floor. "I think we should talk, Judy." She turned back from looking over her shoulder and continued to pack the bag, standing up to reach her holster on the top shelf, ignoring his request.

"You know, it's not much fun to stare at the back of your head, Jude." Tom took a cautious few steps toward her, in case the firearm really was for him, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Look, can we go outside? Please." Taking a deep breath to try and control her feelings, and the rush she felt from having Tom stand so close behind her, Judy slammed the locker door to try a seem tough, and then turned around to face him. Playing it cool with Tom Hanson was easier in intention than actually being done.

The usual few locks of hair fell across Tom's forehead on one side, just over his dark eyebrows and his dark and intense—yeah, Judy thought it too and was a fool for Tom's "intense" and "smoldering—"eyes. Judy couldn't help but soften when they looked at each other, and she felt a fog in her brain and other senses, except for the spicy scent of his cologne, or maybe aftershave. Tom's face was smooth but showed slight stubble over his top lip and across his chin. A small and thin gold hoop in his right ear matched her own.

Tom, mistaking her silence for indecision, asked again. "Just a few minutes. I promise." Judy noticed that he'd put on his trench coat since she last saw him in Fuller's office. She looked down at her stomach and tried to dispel more nervous energy by fastening the silver buttons on her own short, tweed jacket. Her hands lightly shook.

"Okay," she answered him, controlling her voice, and walking past Tom and out from the chapel's back exit. Once outside, Tom walked up behind her and placed his hand against her arm. She looked at him and saw the green duffle across his shoulder.

"You forgot this," Tom said and passed the bag to Judy. She accepted the bag from him and gently laid it down into the back of her jeep. Feeling the lightness of the bag, Judy wondered if she'd remembered to actually pack her gun, or only the holster. She sighed heavily and leaned over to search inside of the bag, her curls falling over one shoulder. Silently, Judy felt one of Tom's hands and fingers lay themselves on her left hip bone. Then his full body pressed against hers from the back, gently pressing her up against the side of the car to her waist, his right hand then also arriving on her right hip. Lightly, Tom kept himself against her, and she could feel the rise and fall of his breathing and the warmness of his breath on her neck. His nose rested on the side of her cheek, just in front of her ear. The feel of him there sent her mind racing and she felt her body begin to flush and surge with warmth.

"What's… going on here, Tom?" Judy asked him slowly and softly. Her body squirmed involuntarily from the heat that he was making her feel. Tom could tell, and turned Judy around to face him. Tom raised one hand to the base of her back and one on the back of her shoulders. He kissed her, again, this time deep and abandoning self control. Judy responded and her urgency matched his. Her arms reached up to encircle his neck and Tom moved a knee in between her legs. Her tremble against his firm body intensified so much that it scared her. "Wait." Judy struggled to refocus. "Tom." She let go of him and pulled her head back from his. "We are at work. And outside in public." He removed himself from her and began to pace, shaking his head back and forth and blinking to regain his own composure.

"I didn't mean to do that," he said and stood still, looking at her. "I mean, I wanted to, clearly, but that wasn't my intention in asking you out here to talk." Judy said nothing. "Please believe me."

"You never answered my question, Tom." Judy leaned off of her car tried to tidy her hair and jacket. "What's going on here?" Just because the man was sexy, the fact that he left her in the car that night and avoided her for four days had not been erased. Tom looked down and then back up shrugging his shoulders in acknowledgement of what he knew she must be thinking.

"I'm sorry I left you that night, Jude. After just now, especially, maybe you can understand. My mind was telling me one thing, but the rest of me wanted another. I just didn't want to go too far, because..." Tom came close to her again and took one of her hands into both of his. He traced along the lines in her skin and continued to focus on her hand while he spoke, changing direction from he'd just left off. "I tried to tell you the next morning at work. But when I approached you at the water cooler beside Blowfish, just to say 'good morning…' Honey, you gave me the stink eye so hard that it would have even put Dirty Harry to shame." Tom chuckled, and Judy, loosening up, joined him.

"Sorry about that," she said.

"It was impressive actually. You should tell the captain about the new extra weapon we can pull out of your sleeve." Then Tom paused. "Just, promise not to use it on me again?" He made a face and she smiled back, fully trusting him and not mad anymore once she realized that their awkwardness had been as much her doing as his.

"Alright, Hanson. I promise." But Judy still didn't have her answer from him to the real question. She knew that Tom was a hard guy to loosen up when it came to his private thoughts and emotions, but he seemed willing now, and she wanted to press him a bit harder. "So do you want to tell me just exactly what it is about my little red car that apparently turns you on?" Tom dropped her hand and met her eyes again. He shifted his gaze a bit in uncharacteristic embarrassment, and then grinned back at her.

"It's not the car, Jude…" Judy felt herself becoming a bit nervous as well. This wasn't some guy at a club trying to hit on her. It was Tom. Her longtime, trusted friend and partner. She'd always been aware that he was drop-dead handsome, and when he wasn't being serious, he was also terribly charming. In the back of her mind, Judy had always felt that there could possibly be something more between them.

"Judy…" Tom said to her. He paused for a minute, and she could tell that he was thinking carefully about what he wanted to say. "Will you go out with me?"

"Like on a date?" Judy asked barely able to hide her approval.

"Yeah," Tom matched her in tone, able to hear in her voice that she wouldn't turn him down. "On a date. On what I hope will be _first_ date. You know. The beginning of something more." He remained playful in tone. _Wow_, Judy thought, but she didn't want to ruin Hanson's image of her as being cool by saying so out loud.

"Okay. When we get back from Puerto Rico," Judy suggested. Tom looked a bit displeased by her answer.

"Truthfully, Judy, that feels like forever from now to me and I might die of anticipation waiting that long." He grinned, as much as she'd even seen him grin before. "Come out with me for dinner tonight?"

"But, Tom, what about getting our rest to fly to Puerto Rico tomorrow?" Judy watched as Tom wrinkled his head in thought, and then turned on a light bulb.

"How about we fly out early, a few hours from now. That gives us enough time for tonight, and that way we'll already be on the ground to start working on the case early tomorrow morning."

Resisting her usual need to be organized and plan, Judy answered him, "Okay."

"Okay," Tom replied, and then joking and faking a baseball announcer's voice, he turned toward the chapel and whisper-yelled, "Judith Hoffs said yes, ladies and gentlemen!" Judy giggled and leaned back against her car.

"You two got jokes?" called out a male voice, startling them both by yelling down from the chapel stairs. Pehnall leaned out from the door.

"I've been looking all over for you two. Fuller wants us to book with the travel agent. You coming back up, or what?"

"Yeah!" Judy called back to Doug, glad that he didn't appear to have seen she and Tom kissing before.

"After you," Tom said and held his arm out for Judy to walk first. She and Hanson jogged up the steps to meet Doug and book their flight.


	3. Judy's Heart

_Hi guys! Sorry to take a whole year to update! Lots of life changes (fortunately all good)... Things have finally settled down. I hope people still remember this story..._

**Chapter 3.**

_Later that evening, on a commercial flight headed south across the Atlantic..._

_. . . . .  
_

_"_Jude…" Officer Judy Hoffs heard a very sexy male voice whisper through her thick hair, his lips seeming to hover close. But even asleep, Judy knew that this man's voice was certainly not the one she expected to hear...

That kiss with Hanson earlier in the day, and their time alone together, was like magic. Judy hated to think of herself as a girlish romantic, sprung over just one—well now two kisses—and unable to close her eyes without imagining the gentle press of Hanson's touch, his strong cheek bones and jaw line coming down to her lips. At work, Hanson's facial expressions often looked intense and sometimes even sullen. But earlier that day in the parking lot, or even in the locker room upstairs, when it was just the two of them and he'd opened up to her, the usual cool and poise of Tom Hanson melted. He'd been… different. _So this is what it feels like to be the lucky girl who gets to date Hanson,_ Judy thought to herself right after he asked her to dinner, just before duty called and they had to trot back up to the chapel and make their travel arrangements to leave for the assignment in Puerto Rico.

_Chasing trans-Atlantic drug dealers deserves one night off in my book,_ Fuller had generously replied to their request and granted Judy and Tom permission to fly out one day early. _Booker, Penhall, Ioki—everyone should go early and enjoy themselves before the real work starts. Consider this my spring break gift to you all_. If only the captain hadn't been quite so generous, Judy lamented, she would have been able to go out on her first real date with Hanson that night, as they'd secretly planned. Instead, tonight she'd be sharing a fratty motel room with the man of her dreams—and Dennis Booker.

. . . . .

"Booker!" Hoffs and Hanson yelled in unison at the muscular man wedged between them in the "E" of the D-E-F row's middle seat.

"Dennis, you'd better move your hand away from my knee," Judy warned him groggily, her thick curls styled up in a lose ponytail, bright blue heart-shaped earrings dangling on either side of her face. She wore a loose pink tank top and tight acid wash jeans.

Booker, as usual, noticed every detail about Judy. He'd seen her pressed all up on Tommy Hamburger earlier—only christ knows why—and reveled in knowing how much he must be pissing off Hanson right now. The whole gang, Hanson included, knew that Dennis had the chance to be with Judy years ago, when the two first met at Jump Street, but he'd chickened out before things between them got too serious.

"Judy, baby, come on," Booker continued undeterred, hoping to be suave enough to be "the exception" to any of her—or Hanson's—rules. Booker proceeded to slide his right arm around Judy's slim shoulders, blatantly flexing his biceps for her to see just below the short sleeves of a tight black t-shirt. "You don't look so comfortable there trying to sleep. Lemme help."

"Why?" Judy leaned the opposite direction and glared playfully at him. "Does your arm need to be broken?" He knew she'd learned to enjoy challenging his passes as much as he liked to make them.

"Probably!" Hanson butted in firmly, as Judy struggled to keep a straight face and they all watched him struggle to control his own temper by slowly running his hand back through his hair. Hanson was clearly irked about something and in a bad mood.

"But hey, Book," Hanson said to him, "It looks like a different part of you might get broken first." Dennis, arm still on Judy, turned around just in time to see the short teeth of a white plastic dinner knife pressed menacingly against a familiar black leather jacket.

"Give me that! You two are a-holes!" Booker lunged across Hanson and the aisle, grabbing his beloved jacket away from a grinning Harry Ioki and Doug Penhall.

"Them? You brought a heavy leather jacket to Puerto Rico…" Hanson said and then ignored Booker again, sipping from a small cup of water, cheek bones moving up sharply as he swallowed.

"Get your mind off my property, Hanson!" Booker snapped, squeezing Judy across the shoulders a bit more for effect.

"What-ever!" Penhall chimed back in, still grinning and looking a bit goofy in a floral Hawaiian shirt. Doug paused to wink and wave his large chubby hands at a blonde stewardess passing by. "One more nick on that old jacket won't matter."

"Do you even know where we're going, Mr. 'Waikiki Penhall?'" Booker said to his buddy flippantly. Always good natured, Ioki snickered at the joke. "Wrong island! Now all of you guys—keep your hands off my stuff!"

"Geez, Dennis," Judy cut back in sweetly, curly bangs falling just above her eyes. "I was just about to ask if I could put my hands all over your stuff." Dennis raised his dark eyebrows, pleasantly surprised and back on track.

"Don't play with me, Judy…" Booker ignored the other three and leaned back over Hoffs seductively.

"Boy! Don't you know it's always a game with you," she giggled and pushed him away.

"Maybe not this time," Booker replied innocently, staring at her longer than necessary. All jokes and rivalries aside, Dennis still had strong feelings for Judy. Seeing her with Hanson had made him gag, but he also realized that if he didn't give it one last shot, and soon, Judy might be gone from his reach for good. Even the mere friendship that they shared meant more to him than any relationship with any woman he'd ever known. Pretending to hit on her was fun, and part of their usual banter, but Dennis' true intentions toward Judy were pure—and serious.

"O-kay," Hanson began, a bit too loudly. "Why are we all sitting so close? Especially you, Booker…" Hanson, clearly irritated, gestured to Booker's large body wedged between him and Judy.

"Well Penhall certainly wouldn't fit," Booker quipped. Doug shot him a dirty look. _Little does Hanson know_, Booker thought to himself, _Me in his way now is just the beginning. I'm not about to sit back and let him win Judy's heart._

. . . . .

Hanson made his way past the motel pool, full of rowdy college kids, to look for the room that he would be sharing with Judy and Booker. He felt a bit silly in his disguise for the trip—plastic flip flops, dark board shorts, and a light colored tank top. The only plus to his preppy surfer identity was that it came with a surfer girl, Judy, who would likely be in a bathing suit much of the time. As much Tom respected his partner, there was never any denying her attractiveness.

"Hey there stranger," a petite girl with bright blue eyes and dark hair spoke to Hanson, pulling on his shirt. "I'm Lydia. ASU. Come drink with us?" Tom smiled politely at the eager girl, hoping she'd go away. "I won't take no for an answer," she continued anyway, batting false eyelashes. "What's your name?"

"Tom Ryans," Hanson replied in a friendly tone. "Listen, you're real cute and all, Lydia, but my girlfriend gets awful jealous." Tom shrugged his shoulders and began to walk away. He wasn't scheduled to start working until tomorrow and wanted to salvage some sort of date night with Judy. Spending more time alone with her had been on his mind all day.

Small yet determined, Lydia stepped into his path again and flipped her long hair.

"Well she's not here right now is she?" Lydia flirted, coyly taking one of his hands into her own. "So what are you into, Tom Ryans, that might help to loosen you up? My friends and I like to share…"

"You mean like… drugs?" Hanson asked nonchalantly, now pretending to return her flirtation. Maybe he would have to start work earlier than planned after all. Lydia laughed and began to lead Hanson toward the end of the pool where she'd left her friends.

"You're adorable," she told him and licked her lips. "Let's see what I can show you." He forced a grin and hoped to be back with Judy as soon as possible.

. . . . .

Judy looked down at her black digital watch, again, wondering what happened to Hanson. He'd stayed behind at the motel's management office over an hour ago, waiting to talk with the managers about restaurant recommendations. _Aww, you wanna take me out, Hanson?_ Booker had joked with him before making a rare friendly gesture toward Tom. _Good idea. We're all starving. Why don't I carry your bag to the room, so you can talk with management right now to get a few suggestions? I kind of feel like being on my own tonight anyway, so I'll probably go someplace different than you guys._ Judy thought that was awfully nice of Booker to offer to help Hanson out, especially because of the two men's tenuous relationship. She just hoped that Dennis wouldn't start teasing her too much once he found out that she and Hanson were kind of dating.

"Damn!" Booker exclaimed loudly from the shower. Judy heard a wet "thud" sound, followed by Booker sighing. She stood up from the balcony seat where she'd been waiting for Hanson, and walked back inside their room.

"You okay, Dennis?" Judy called out to him, stopping beside the end of one of the room's two double beds.

"Yeah…" Booker replied, walking out of the bathroom in only his undies, looking down at a ball of wet clothing in his hands. "Damn. My clothes for tonight just fell into a puddle of water next to the shower…" Judy, eyes fixed on him, barely heard any of what Dennis was saying.

His body was gorgeous.

She had to sit down.

Judy had never denied that Dennis was sexy. But now, seeing the full shape of his creamy, defined arms and chest, he looked good enough to—_Never mind!_ Judy cut her thoughts short. Already embarrassed at herself for thinking like a girly romantic over Hanson, the overwhelming flush that Judy felt upon seeing Dennis this way made her brown skin turn a shade of red in the face. The man was fine. Droplets of water fell from his hair and onto his shoulders and chest. In that tight pair of black boxer briefs, she could see pretty much everything… except the front of his shorts, coincidentally blocked by the lump of wet clothes.

The two of them locked eyes. Judy, not sure what to say and careful to restrain her true thoughts, opted just not to say anything.

Dennis, usually a male peacock, felt unexpectedly bashful at Judy's reaction. Now, he wondered if his "lost my clothes" stunt—which had seemed so brilliant before he did it—was a stupid move. Across from him and staring up, Judy looked so thrown off balance from her usual nerve. The last thing he'd wanted to make her feel was vulnerable or uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Jude," Booker said awkwardly, reaching a hand up behind him to nervously scratch the back of his shoulder, triceps thick. He quickly stepped back into the bathroom, threw down his clothes, and put on a cheap white bathrobe. "I'm used to bunking alone and didn't think about it…"

"No problem, Dennis. Really." She stood back up and walked over to the balcony window, unfortunately saying the last words that Booker wanted to hear. "I wonder what's keeping Hanson."


	4. About to Get Interesting

**Chapter 4**.

Dennis Booker stared across the small, dim room, his dark eyes deeply pondering how to get through to Hoffs. Her back remained turned to him, Judy's slim brown figure accentuated by the strings of a pink bikini top, her thick curls loose and pushed to the front of one shoulder. Dennis averted his gaze down to the blue tile floor, his confidence admittedly shaken. Her words still hung in the air, _I wonder what's keeping Hanson. _Booker knew that for whatever goddamned reason, the woman who held his own heart was feeling another man. But he didn't have to accept it. He began to pace back and forth, staring down at the cheap, chipped floor, still wearing only a bathrobe, his dark hair and features contrasting against the white.

"Dennis, what's wrong?" Hoffs interrupted his trance, her brown eyes wide and showing concern, blue earrings dangled delicately at the sides of her face, a warm breeze entering the room through the open patio doors. "You've been acting odd all day."

"Judy…" Booker said softly, dark eyes cutting back across the room to where she stood. Her expression seemed startled, the seriousness of Booker's tone even surprising himself.

"The beautiful weather has you down?" Hoffs joked back, clearly nervous. She moved past the motel room's two full beds, headed to the outside door. "Hanson is probably waiting for us. I think we should go look—" Booker stepped softly in front her, his body blocking her way and hand pressing against the white door.

"Okay. But give me just one minute to say this. Please?" Booker's usual bravado had all but disappeared, rendering him able to speak softly and earnestly in a way that few people ever saw. Judy had seen it before though. Booker lifted his hand to brush the side of her face, running the back of his hand down and across her collar bone slowly.

Hoffs stepped back. "Dennis. I thought we agreed a long time ago to be just friends."

"I know." He paused, looking at her still, an unusual openness in his chiseled face. "But I was wrong, Judy. Truthfully, you could never be 'just' anything to me."

"Dennis…" she began. Hoffs forced a smile again, tentative, trying to ease the thickness of the mood. "Come on now, Detective Booker. What is this? 'Rocky?'" She motioned with her eyes to his body blocking her passage through the door.

"I saw you outside the chapel with Hanson earlier," Booker interjected, stepping back. Hoofs blinked, and then sincerely relaxed her posture, laughing.

"So that's what this is all about. You and Hanson, and the never ending rivalry. Geez Book—" she started in again before he cut her off.

"Judy I'm in love with you," he said loudly, softly grabbing her by the arms to bring Judy's eyes to meet his own. "I always have been. Never mind Hanson. My feelings for you are my own."

Judy turned her head to the side, momentarily avoiding Dennis' gaze, speechless. She thought back to when Booker used to work as part of the team at Jump Street, remembering the first day they met at the chapel. He'd started flirting with her immediately. They spent one night together, just talking, getting to know one another. Hanson got so mad. After Booker admitted to being IA, Judy lost some of her trust in him and told him so. That's when he said that they should just be friends and maintain a professional relationship. She might never have spoken to him again after that, except Booker stayed on at Jump Street and proved himself to be a real friend. She remembered a night not too long before he had to leave the program, after they closed that fake hate crime case with the college radio DJ, and how Dennis had called her out on-air, apologizing for a misunderstanding between them and telling her how much he cared about her as a friend.

"I'm with Hanson now, Dennis," Judy finally gathered herself and said apologetically. She tried to smile and dissipate the energy between them in the room. She tried to step away from him again, her back now pressed against the door, Booker's hold releasing. "Besides, you said yourself once before that it could _never_ work between us." Booker inched closer. This time keeping his hands down. He tilted his face down level to hers, only a few inches between them. Hoffs could feel Booker's body heat on her own, the open folds of his robe dancing against her skin.

"Nah, Judy. I never said 'never.'" Dennis held her eyes with his own intense gaze. "And for that matter, neither did you."

"Dennis, I—"

"I wanna be with you, Judy. Like cut the bull, no games, no cool guy. I wanna be your man… pretty much more than I've wanted anything else in life." As Booker looked down into her eyes, Hoffs looked back, clearly confused. He did not take for granted that she hadn't said 'no.' Dennis moved in closer, their two faces barely apart.

"Give me a chance, Judy. That's all I'm asking you. If you can honestly tell me that you don't feel anything between us, then I'll drop it right now. But if you can't…"

Just as Booker pressed forward to kiss her, they both heard and felt a loud banging on the door and Judy fell forward into Dennis' arms suddenly, both of them stumbling to stay standing.

"What the heck guys! You're all taking for-ever!" Doug Penhall barged into the room, looking around, totally oblivious to the moment he'd just interrupted, hair slicked back and floral shirt left unbuttoned and open.

"Jesus, Penhall!" Booker fumed at his friend, releasing Judy. "Don't you knock?"

"No, he doesn't," Harry Ioki replied flatly, walking in behind Doug. Unlike his more brash partner, the scene they'd just interrupted hadn't been lost on Harry. He looked slowly from Hoffs to Dennis.

"Where's Hanson?" Penhall asked, still oblivious, plopping down on a bed.

"You okay, Jude?" Harry asked his close friend and partner, noting her apparent surprise. Harry shot a suspicious look at Booker who turned away.

. . . . .

Tom Hanson watched as his new admirer Lydia, small but pushy, latched a hand onto his left shoulder. Her bright turquoise bikini matched the hot tub water so much that she appeared to be floating, beside him, instead of sitting back along the tub wall. To her left, Hanson noticed a young couple whispering playfully into one another's ears, giant glass bottles in each of their hands.

"They've got cans and cups around here, you know," Hanson pointedly stated in the couple's direction, to no response. He felt irritated, but not by the kids, but because of having started the undercover assignment early, before being able to spend time with Judy. _I'm taking off soon if this girl doesn't offer a good lead on any party drugs_, Hanson thought to himself, raising a wet hand to push back the hair from his brow.

"_You_ feel _totally_ tense, Tommy Ryans," the Lydia girl purred into Hanson's ear, as if on cue. "_I _can help." She pushed him slightly forward and moved her own body to slide behind his. The girl flipped her long dark hair, yet again, in a way that she clearly though to be sensual. Hanson forced a tight smile.

"I thought you said there'd be… 'party favors' here," Hanson said to her, fishing for information to help the case. "All I see are cheap six packs and moldy bongs." Before he could continue, Hanson felt Lydia press her chest and stomach against him from the back and start to massage his shoulders.

"I know something _better_ you might like," Lydia giggled into his ear. She nearly fell face forward into the water when Hanson stood up quickly and turned to get out of the whirlpool. "What's the _problem_, Tommy?" The young girl giggled again and grabbed onto his waist from behind.

Two human shadows cast over them on an otherwise sunny, tropical day.

"Well _'that'_ doesn't look like too much fun to me," Detective Hoffs spoke sternly and mocking, suddenly at the side of the hot tub, hand on her hip and glaring down at the girl in the bright turquoise bikini. Judy really wanted to laugh out loud at the sight of Hanson clearly being unnerved by a 90-pound girl, but she played tough, also forcing the thought of Booker's earlier confession out of her head. "What about you Dennis?"

"Tommy. You gonna introduce your big brother to your new friend?" Booker replied, also refocused on business, his head cocked and looking devilishly at the new girl. Booker raised his eyebrows in a dramatic appreciation.

"This is Lydia," Hanson said quickly looking up at Judy. He got out of the pool and slid an arm around Hoffs' slim waist. He nodded toward Booker. "My brother, Dennis Ryans. And, my girl, Judy McQuaid."Hanson then looked down to keep from laughing to himself. Booker rolled his eyes.

"Oh…" Lydia replied, her bright blue eyes looking embarrassed—and intimidated—by the dramatic and icy stare from Hoffs. "I'm really sorry…"

"I'm not," Booker piped back in, and reached down, motioning for Lydia to accept his hand to get out of the pool. She smiled and squealed as he pulled her out, like a doll, then once she was on land kissed her hand. "Forget about him, sweetheart. You're just now meeting the best part of our family." Booker winked seductively. Lydia smiled, clearly already moving on from her previous crush.

"So we just got here," Booker continued, his deep eyes focused on Lydia. "You know where we can find a party that's not such a geek fest?" Booker raised his arm and motioned around the pool and courtyard to young people passed out on lawn chairs and throwing up in bushes. On the opposite side of the courtyard, he saw Penhall and Ioki chatting with a group of young guys, all standing in line for a game of beer pong.

"My sorority sisters all got invited out to a big rager later tonight out on Playa del Rey," Lydia answered, focused on Dennis and flipping her hair more boldly. "It's a real pretty beach about ten miles from here. Lots of _private_ spots."

"I don't know if you and your girls are really the type of people I feel like hanging out with," Hoffs cut in, still pretending to be salty over Lydia's play for Hanson. "Besides," Judy began, appraising the younger woman bitchily, "you don't look like the sort to _really_ party."

As if on cue, Lydia flipped her hair once more and stepped up to Judy for a potential face off.

"Look _chick_," the girl began, "I said I was sorry about your boyfriend. But I'm over that." Lydia glanced back and winked at Booker. "So we can all party together. Or you can stay in your room all night and sulk, while I take _him_ out. Oh, and I don't know where _you're_ from, but me and my girls can hang. As a matter of fact, we've got a hook up to some stuff that'll make you feel, like, out of this world."

"Promises, promises," muttered Hanson.

"I'm serious!" Lydia replied annoyed.

"Hmph," Judy said, shrugging her shoulders, and pushed back her own long curls in a mocking gesture that Lydia clearly missed. "So you'd share?"

"For a new friend, I would." Lydia looked back at Booker again, then extended her hand to Judy. "Call it even?"

"Even," Judy consented.

"Sounds like things are about to get interesting," Booker added.

"Good!" Hanson declared loudly. So when and where can we meet you two? _Later_."

"Two hours from now," Lydia grinned. "Right back here. You can join up with my gang and we'll all head over to the beach together. "For now, you can definitely come with me, Dennis. I have a feeling that you and I are going to get along great."

As Hoffs and Hanson turned to leave, Booker felt his heart sink. "Hey! Take care of her, brother." Booker called out. Judy may have just been adjusting her swim top, but he thought he saw her look back at him before continuing to walk away.


	5. In the Night

_Thanks guys for sticking with me! It's so fun to hear from you all… I hope you're enjoying the story. Feel free to let me know your thoughts!_

**Chapter 5. **

_Later that night, at the beach…_

"Man, I wish we'd partied like this back when I was a kid," began Penhall, leaning back against a palm trunk, wearing a fitted black tee in place of his earlier luau shirt. "These girls are all gorgeous, and none of them looks like they have a care in the world." Penhall turned away from looking out at the beach scene to see a trio of good natured smiles in front of him, his three fellow officers, and best friends, sitting across from him on the sand.

"These rich kids don't even know how good they have it. When I was their age my mom was already gone, I didn't speak to my father, and—"

"You were stuck all day looking at me?" Tom Hanson interrupted. "Aren't I pretty, Penhall?"

"Sorry Hanson, but after Dorothy I'm kind of over brunettes." Penhall sighed loudly, pushing his hands down into the front pockets of his dark jeans. "Seriously, guys. Don't you sometimes feel like we're missing out on being young and living our own lives? Always having to be responsible for other people…"

Harry Ioki, Penhall's most thoughtful friend, cleared his throat and smiled wistfully, beginning to address the gang from where he sat on the ground with his legs crossed, back resting against a giant rock. "I became a cop to _have_ a life, after everything, my entire family, was taken from me back home in Vietnam. You guys are my family now, and I'm grateful for that. This job means everything to me." Judy Hoffs reached over and squeezed Harry's hand.

"Well I _love_ being a detective," she said proudly and with enthusiasm. As if on cue, the boys all groaned. "Hey!" Judy began to defend herself, laughing.

"You worked hard for it," admitted Hanson, leaning his upper body over to nudge against Hoffs' shoulder and side. Back unsupported, Judy braced herself to keep from tipping over, planting her hands in front of her in the sand.

"I prefer my superior officers to also possess a superior power of balance," joked Ioki. Judy rolled her eyes at him.

"What about you, Hanson?" Penhall directed the group's attention back to the original question. "Don't you ever feel like you're missing out on something, living this life?" Ioki and Hoffs broke from their banter and looked over at Hanson.

"Yeah, I do," Hanson replied thoughtfully. He nodded his head twice, slowly, a dark lock of hair hanging over one of his eyes. "Sometimes I think about how much being a cop, working at Jump Street, has cost us all. Because it has. I think about all the kids we helped to put away, and how none of them get to have any sort of young life anymore. I think about the times I wasn't able to be there when it mattered most. When Amy died. When Harry got shot. For Judy… I like to believe that we're helping people, and on some level, truthfully, I know that we are. But really, I just want to be there to take care of the people in my life who matter most. Not everyone else." Hanson paused. "My father. That's why I started this job. I just want the people I love to be safe."

. . .

Hiking along the tree line, Hanson held a small lighter out in front of him to be able to see in the dark. He heard Penhall behind him curse, and looked over his shoulder just in time to see his lumbering friend slip on a wet rock. Hanson waited ten seconds. Penhall wasn't getting up. _Damn,_ Hanson thought, walking back to help. Everything about this trip so far drove him crazy. No Judy. Too much Booker. And now his best friend lay flat on his back on the swampy ground in front of him in a spread eagle.

"You okay?" Hanson squatted next to Penhall. Doug moaned in exaggerated pain. Tom poked his friend's side with a stick.

"I'll live!" Penhall sat up quickly, swatting away at the stick. "Can we just take a rest for a couple of minutes? The others are all out on patrol too. Maybe they'll see something." Hanson nodded his head and plopped down next to Penhall. Hanson watched in amusement while Doug sighed loudly and began to dust the sand off his pants and shirt.

"It looks like nobody on this team can keep his or her balance," Tom kidded.

"Yeah… So what _is_ up with you and Hoffs, Hanson?" Doug's question caught him by surprise. The jokester raised his eyebrows and made a kissy face.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Douglass?" Tom held a poker face. Penhall gave him a big dopey smile, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't you lie to me, Hanson! I saw the whole PG-13 rated thing. You and Hoffs smooching and squishing on the back of her car earlier today." Penhall paused thoughtfully. "Wow. Today has been a really long day… Anyway! Spill it."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to let anyone else in on what he had going with Judy, but Penhall looked so excited he decided to tell.

"We were supposed to have a romantic night together tonight. Just the two of us. But as you can see, I'm here with you now. So that didn't turn out so well." Hanson laughed again as Penhall's face came alive with excitement.

"I knew it!" He punched Tom on the shoulder playfully. "Man, Hanson. Judy is a beautiful woman. Smart. Classy. And she's never gonna give you a hard time about police work." Penhall rolled his eyes. "Unlike _my_ former warden, Dorothy. That woman really knew how to make a guy feel just so great about himself. Anyway, enough about the not-so-fond past. Here's to the future man. To you and Judy!" Penhall raised an imaginary glass to Hanson in toast. The two men fake clinked.

"You sprung for the good stuff," Tom said, after tossing back a fake drink.

"I always imagined that I would." Penhall tossed his glass away over his shoulder. "Heck man, if I couldn't get with Judy, I'm glad one of us has been able to." Tom raised his eyebrows at Doug questioningly.

"It's not me you need to worry about, Hanson. It's Booker."

"Booker?" Hanson asked him. "What about Booker?"

"You saw him all over Judy this afternoon on the plane."

"Yeah, but he's like that with her all the time. That's just Booker being himself. An ass."

"Nah man," Doug said, a more serious tone in his voice. "It's different this time man. I don't know, maybe he senses that there's real competition with you. Listen. Keep an eye on him. Something is definitely up."

Tom considered Penhall's warning. Finally, he nodded his head once in agreement. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay." Hanson stood back up, and reached down to pull Doug up along with him. Just as Penhall steadied on his feat, a piercing scream cut into the night's peace and joyous sounds of a party. The woman screamed again, yelling _HELP!_

"That's Judy!" Hanson exclaimed with worry. Immediately, he and Penhall took off running through the trees toward the sound of her call.

. . .

Booker shot a hot and sexy gaze down at Lydia, squeezing her tiny hand inside of his own. He let her reach up and run a hand through his styled hair, stopping at the base of his neck and scooting closer to him as the two sat temporarily alone beside the bonfire.

"Dennis…" she whispered and leaned in to kiss him.

Booker lightly stopped her, reaching up with his free hand to hold her chin.

"You…" he began, "I wanna know the real you." The girl looked back at him with her bright blue eyes and long dark hair, in her eyes not sure whether to feel slighted or trust him. Then she decided.

"You're special, Dennis. I wanna know you too."

"Oh gag me," Judy cut in, walking up behind the two, Ioki at her side. Lydia looked up at them and rolled her eyes. She released her hold on Booker.

"Where's _your_ boyfriend?" Lydia asked pointedly.

"He and my friend Doug decided to try some hiking, back along the tree line," Ioki explained to the now growing group, as they were joined by about three other drunken spring breakers, two guys and one girl.

"So Tommy went off in the woods with another guy! Ha!" Lydia threw a mischievous look over at Judy, now sitting on the log opposite from her and Booker. "Maybe he's gay!"

"I've always thought so," chuckled Booker, looking up at Judy. She cast them both a dirty look and changed the subject.

"So who's holding?" Judy looked cautiously around the campfire circle, across the flames and from side to side. A muscular boy wearing a backwards cap and loose tank top spoke.

"Me… I've got some next level stuff that's a guaranteed party." He shifted his lower half on the log and reached into his shorts pocket, pulling out a clear plastic baggie containing several small white tablets. The thin girl next to him giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Everybody in?" the boy asked the group.

"Wait," Ioki interrupted. "How do we know it's good? I mean, a couple of months ago, a friend of mine took some stuff he wasn't quite sure about, and it landed him in the hospital."

"Yeah," Judy agreed and played off her partner's comment. "I don't do anything I don't trust. Where'd you get this stuff from anyway?"

"Oh calm down you two," Booker put himself into the conversation. "Mike's no dummy. I'm sure he knows when a product is legit. Right, Mikey?" The young man didn't respond. "Right, Mike?"

"I guess…" he muttered. Dennis tossed his head back and groaned loudly. Mike began talking. "This young guy, he was local, hooked me up on the beach earlier. He said his boss was the guy throwing this whole party, and so he gave me a good deal."

"What boss?" Judy asked.

"I dunno," Mike replied. "I didn't see him."

"In that case I'll pass," Judy said."

"Me too," added Ioki.

"_I'll_ take the ride." Judy, Dennis, and Ioki turned their attention from Mike to Lydia, just as she popped a pill into her mouth and chased it down with a bottle. "Bought my own," she said laughing. "Dennis?" Booker took a pill from her hand and threw it into his mouth, immediately raising a beer bottle to his lips for the chase. Booker invisibly spit the pill back into the beer.

"Woo hoo!" Lydia yelled out, suddenly standing up. "I say we all explore this island too. Let's go for a hike, and find Tommy and that other guy."

"I don't know, Lydia," Booker tried to calm her. "In the dark? Somebody could get hurt out there in those woods."

"Let's go!" Lydia yelled out again. The gang looked on as her bubbly personality instantaneously turned more hyper and aggressive before their eyes. Whatever Lydia took had begun to work fast in her small body. She seemed slightly off balance on her feet as well. Booker reached up to put his hand on her waist.

"Nooo!" Lydia yelled, stepping away. She looked back toward the forest and began to run. All three officers jumped to their feet, chasing after her. One of the other boys from the camp fire, not Mike, joined in as well.

Lydia moved surprisingly fast, staying just ahead of Judy and Ioki, the two quickest runners in the group. The sand made it hard to keep up, as Lydia's small size gave her an advantage from not sinking in as she kept running forward. At the tree line, Lydia's pale skin and turquoise swimsuit vanished. In the dark, in the woods, it became a surprisingly difficult task to find her. The officers hiked father up the beach, deeper into the tropical woods, for nearly an hour.

"Lydia!" Booker yelled, once again, walking into a small clearing. Judy and Harry were there too.

"Come on, girl!" Judy called out. "You've got us all pretty worried."

"Hey," began Ioki, "Where'd that other kid go?"

"Back to the hotel… to call the police." Booker moved out of the clearing, continuing to look forward.

"But we are the police…" Ioki said softly.

"Not around here, we're not," Judy replied. "Wait…" Judy saw a faint piece of turquoise cloth to the right. She motioned the boys to stop going forward. Slowly, Judy walked toward the color on the ground, taking each step gingerly, over the palm leaves, rocks, and sandy ground.

"Lydia?" Judy whispered, seeing the petite girl down on the ground, her long hair messy and splayed on the earth around her face. Lydia's formerly bright eyes, now dim, started vacant and open, her body limp. "Oh god, she's…"

"Dead," Booker finished, walking up beside Judy. Suddenly, Hoffs felt a thick, cold strap come down around the back of her neck.

Afraid for her life, all of their lives, Judy screamed loudly, piercing into the night.


	6. Choices

_Hey guys! Thanks for all of your reviews. Here is another update. I will try to post something new every Thursday. Have a great weekend!_

**. . .**

**Chapter 6. **

_In the woods off the beach, beside Lydia's body …_

"It was just a snake, Judy," Booker said softly, looking behind her to where the thick, dark reptile hit the ground in a thud and slithered off into the night. Beside him, Hoffs began to shake and tears streamed down her face.

"I've got you, Judy," Booker spoke again, immediately protective. He wrapped one arm all the way around her slim waist and kept a hand on her back, and Judy, usually so confident and tough, folded into him like a rag doll. Her body felt so delicate, and her skin warm and soft. He held a hand up lovingly to the back of Judy's head, lost in her thick hair. He kissed her gently on the top of her curls.

"You know I mean that… I won't allow anything to hurt you out here."

"Yeah," Ioki interrupted the moment, narrowing his eyes at Booker suspiciously. "Me neither."

Just then, footsteps and rustling sounds became audible, louder and louder, moving toward their clearing through the brush. Booker gave Ioki an uneasy look, both men unsure what to expect. He held tighter onto Judy, glaring in intimidation into the dark. Ioki nodded at him and then silently hid behind a tree, ready to spring out and fight.

"Hoffs!" The voices became clearer, causing Booker to frown as Judy raised her head off of his chest. They both turned toward the sound. _Damn it, _Booker thought. _It's—_

"Hanson!" Judy broke away from Dennis' protective hold, much to his own disappointment, and ran to meet Hanson just as he and Penhall broke through into the clearing. Booker gritted his teeth, struggling to remain cool as Judy and Hamburger held on to each other for what seemed like dear life. He noticed how the panic in Tommy's eyes, worried about her safety, matched his own.

Quickly, Hanson looked up at him.

"What's wrong with her, Booker?" Hanson asked accusatorily. "What did you do?"

Dennis balled his fists, glaring daggers.

. . .

"_Nothing_!" Ioki stepped out quickly from behind his tree, keen to prevent a fight. "Booker didn't do anything! It's—"

"Lydia," whispered Judy, drawing all of their attention again, her voice still soft and brown eyes dim in sadness. "She's dead."

Penhall, finally noticing the body, walked over to where the small, pretty girl haloed by hair lay motionless on the damp ground. Ioki joined him, kneeling down over the body. He placed two fingers at her neck to take the pulse.

"One-hundred percent dead," Ioki confirmed. He then pressed his fingertips lightly against her eyelids to pull them closed. No one spoke right away, everyone sad and regretful over the bubbly girl's fate.

"Somebody will have to tell her parents." Judy broke the silence, tears gone and calm restored to her voice.

"Her old man is sick in the hospital," Booker added. "Lydia told me before. He had a pretty bad accident on the job." He paused. "This will kill the mother..."

"_Damn it_!" Hanson exclaimed, violently kicking the earth and sand below his feet. Tom turned his back on the group, breathed in deep, and then wandered out of the clearing, his dark green jacket disappearing from sight immediately.

"Hanson! It's not your fault!" Ioki called after him, remembering the strong sense of grief and responsibility their partner had earlier expressed.

"Hanson! Man! You've _got_ my wallet!" Penhall yelled next. Everyone stared at him. "It's just a little thing we do," Penhall explained. "Otherwise I might lose it..."

"Whatever," Booked ended the conversation grouchily, turning again toward Lydia's still body on the ground. "Let him go."

"_I_ can't," Judy replied, already disappearing into the brush to follow Tom. Before Booker or anyone else could stop her from leaving alone, the missing kid from the campfire who'd helped them chase after Lydia earlier jogged in from the opposite direction.

"Man, where you been!" Penhall asked him, relieved. "Are the police coming or what?"

Ten men emerged from the woods behind the kid. The full crew behind him all wore dark, tattered clothes and stone grimaces.

"Something tells me you guys ain't the police," Penhall addressed the group. Booker, jaw tight and eyes cold, glared at his side.

"Nope." The guy from the bonfire spoke in a light Spanish accent, lifting the baseball cap from his head. He had a much less boyish face than the gang previously picked up on and a faded scar ran diagonal across his forehead. "But _you_ are." Booker, Ioki, and Penhall exchanged looks. The leader raised a gun and pointed at Penhall.

"Ever heard of the term 'fair fight?'" Penhall's voice lost its usual charm. As if on cue, all of the other men pulled out their own guns.

"Clearly they haven't…" Ioki replied softly.

The leader began to speak.

"We were alerted last week that cops from the north would try to come down here and capture me. To try and spoil my little party. But that won't ever happen, my friends." He walked closer, gun still aimed at Doug, clearly a man who enjoys his own power. "You gave yourselves away so easily back at the bonfire, with that little game of 'Who's your supplier?' I thought it might be you all before, but after that I knew for sure."

"What the hell did you do to Lydia?" Booker nearly spat out the question, jaw still clenched and face sharpened with rage.

"Ha!" The leader exaggerated a cold laugh. "What did I _do_?"

"What I meant to do to _all_ of you," he continued. "That pretty girl had the simple misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Falling in with the wrong crowd." He waved the gun across Booker and Ioki too. "Fast acting toxins _do_ work fast."

"You," he stopped and pointed at Booker, "Nice trick with the beer bottle. A few seconds slower and you'd be lying dead beside the girl."

The leader began again, condescending to them and pacing, pointing his gun at each of the Jump Street cops.

"One. Two. Three. Where are your other two?"

"Don't know what you mean," Ioki interrupted, eyes cool with one arm resting against a tree. "There are only three of us on assignment down here."

"Don't play with me," the leader warned. "Where's that pretty little morena cop and her little cop boyfriend?"

Booker bit down too hard on his lip, and tasted blood.

"You know," the leader continued, a mean smile on his face, "I _really_ want to find _her_."

"Hey!" Booker called for the leader's attention, regarding him with steely eyes. "That could be arranged. How about a deal?"

Penhall, Ioki, and the local man all turned, almost as if in slow motion, to look at Dennis, not at all sure what he might want to offer.

"_I'm_ not a cop," Dennis began. "I'm a private investigator. Know that I'm not bound by my job to owe anybody anything or to protect against any 'obstruction of justice.' If you let me get back on a plane out of here… I'll deliver those two other cops to you."

Penhall narrowed his eyes and cocked his head at his partner, not sure what kind of game Dennis wanted to play.

"These men aren't my friends," Booker kept talking, and motioned at Harry and Doug. "That other cop, Hanson, he stole my girl. And her… well it looks like she sure chose wrong, now doesn't it? Judy deserves whatever is coming to her."

"Woah..." Penhall whispered, nearly in disbelief. "Booker…"

"Why should I believe you?" The leader scanned Dennis' face, unable to tell if the stranger truly meant what he said. "Why should I keep you alive?"

"I _used_ to be a cop," Booker began to explain. "But I got sacked for protecting Hanson's ass. We'll now I don't want to protect anybody anymore. Just myself." He paused.

"Listen to this word of warning, if you kill us three right now and Hanson and Hoffs get suspicious before you find them too—they'll call back to Metro. Before you know it, it'll get hotter down here than _any_ day in hell. Metro cops all over the place. Hanson and Hoffs, they've both seen your face. It'll only take so long for all the puzzle pieces to come together."

"So what do you suggest as a deal?" The leader asked him. "Mr… Mr?"

"Booker," Dennis replied. "Dennis Booker. And you?"

"Call me Ram_ó_n."

"Tie these two clowns up, Ram_ó_n." Booker motioned toward Penhall and Ioki.

"This is low, Booker." Ioki stared at the man he thought he knew and trusted. "All over losing a woman? She was never yours to begin with!"

"I can get Hanson and Judy to come to us," Dennis ignored him. "But they won't trust it unless they believe that their partners are still alive. They'll try to save them. Once Hanson and Hoffs come, the whole gang is yours. Do whatever you want."

"I'll go back to Metro singing any bogus story you tell me to," Booker finished.

"Four dead, snoops. No army of cops to invade Puerto Rico looking for me…" The leader considered Booker's offer. "You telling them that the evil drug cartel sailed 'bye bye' off into the sea…"

"That's if _I_ go home alive," Booker interjected. "Hanson and Judy deserve whatever you wanna dish out." He turned to his left, looking at Penhall and Ioki, giving a callous shoulder shrug "Sorry guys."

. . .

"Phew! We must have walked for maybe four or five miles before spotting that cab," Judy spoke out loud to herself, back in front of the motel with Hanson. He'd barely said a word to her, other than _I don't really feel like talking, _over an hour ago since they'd walked away from the dismal scene Lydia's dead body.

Hanson still didn't respond, his handsome face drawn expressionless and tight. Silently, the two walked past the late-night debauchery of several hearty spring breakers, moving slowly through the courtyard and past the pool where they'd first met Lydia earlier that day. A giant beach ball floated in the water, making a bright contrast to the officers' somber mood.

"I can't believe she's dead," Judy said softly, not expecting a response.

"She shouldn't be," Hanson replied, unexpectedly breaking his silence, still staring down into the pool.

"One girl, Hoffs. Just one tiny girl… and I couldn't keep her alive." Hanson bent down, looking intensely into the water like he expected Lydia to jump though, still alive, from underneath the surface. "It's like she asked me to take care of her. And I blew it."

"Hanson, it's really not your fault." Judy tried, unsuccessfully, to connect with his troubled eyes.

"Maybe if I'd paid more attention," Hanson continued, "she wouldn't have done it. She wouldn't have tried so hard to impress us."

"Hanson, look around you." Judy motioned with her hand to the kids passed out on lounge chairs around them. "Nobody thinks about 'danger' at this kind of party." She touched one of his hands gently with her own, her eyes finally able to meet his. Hanson lightly licked his bottom lip and ran a hand back through his hair, breaking the somber mood with a chuckle.

"I didn't expect a night like this," he said.

"Me neither," Judy relaxed, rolling her eyes and giving him a silly smile. "Let's head into the room. This girl could use a good night's sleep." Together, they took a few steps. "Umm… Hanson?" Judy stopped and released her loose hold on his hand.

"Yeah," he replied.

"When I looked across to our room a couple of minutes ago, it was dark inside the window. The lights are on now."

"Booker," Hanson said curtly, looking down for a moment and resting his chin in his hand. He wiped downward and let his fingers run move against the texture of stubble. "You and I were out walking so long… Booker, Penhall, and Ioki must have got a ride back here from the local cops."

"You two aren't going to have a problem, are you?" Judy remembered the near fight not too long ago. Hanson considered her question, wanting to quell the worry in her eyes. He remembered Penhall's head's up that Booker was up to something concerning Hoffs.

"You know what," Hanson began, "the night doesn't have to be lost. Hoffs, wanna sit outside with me for a little bit longer? Maybe give Booker some space to fall asleep… You're right. He—and me—both need a little time to cool off."

"Sure." Judy smiled."Out there?" She nodded past the courtyard, out onto a small strip of private beach owned by the motel.

"You know it's freezing out there at this hour. And there are no lights. That's why everybody else is over _here_." As if for effect, Hanson zipped the front of his jacket. "Well, everybody but the sand crabs. They're probably over there."

"_Come_ _on_, Hanson." Judy grabbed him by the wrist, shaking her head, still wearing only a two-piece and cover-up. "It's really not _that_ cool out and I'm not even wearing a jacket." Judy started off toward a gap in the courtyard's fence. "Besides, I've had enough of 'over here' and this vacation for one day!" Hanson chuckled and followed her, grabbing a couple of oversized towels from a stack beside the pool.

Tom stepped off the concrete and onto the sand, immediately feeling a well of stress release from his body. He caught up to Judy, plopping down a couple of yards back from the tide.

Judy looked out into the ocean and pushed sand over her toes.

"I don't want to think right now about Lydia, or Booker, or the case." She sighed. "_Anything_ else. Okay, Hanson?"

"Ten-four," he replied. They sat quietly until he spoke again. "So, detective. Back to our conversation earlier."

"Which one?" Judy raised her eyebrows at him. Tom chuckled.

"Today, with the guys… And also, that night back in your car…"

"You mean the night you first kissed me and then ran away?"

"Yes, that would be the one…" Hanson joked lightly. "Seriously, Jude. If you weren't a cop, a detective, what else would you want to do?"

"I don't know… Be a sergeant?" Judy replied seriously. Tom smiled and reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"Uh… No, I mean, I like how you think, Jude. But, if you weren't a cop at all. If you left the force."

"You mean, what else would I want to _be_?"

"Yeah."

Judy paused and looked down at the sand covering up her feet, and wiggled her toes back through.

"Just myself, I guess," she told him, looking back up into Hanson's eyes. "Wherever that might take me." Judy smiled and looked back out at the sea. "Maybe I'd go back to school to learn more about psychology. Get a higher degree and then go work as a psychologist somewhere. Maybe in… forensics." Hanson laughed again. He clearly felt more relaxed and at ease in her presence than anywhere else.

"You've got that cop blood running through you, Hoffs. I wonder where it came from…"

"Caring about people… caring about what's right." She paused and frowned. "You really are serious about leaving, aren't you Hanson?"

"Maybe," he replied. A long silence passed between them. Tom noticed Judy shiver a bit in the cold, damp air.

"I told you so!" He sighed in a dramatic exasperation, unzipping his jacket and placing it over her shoulders. Tom scooted beside her, so that their sides touched, and looked down, tracing lines into the sand.

"I could leave." Judy's statement surprised Tom. She continued. "I mean, Jump Street. Not necessarily police work and the law forever. What I mean is, I could explore something different for a while."

Tom nodded up and down slowly, trying his best to rein in the cheesy wide smile that threatened to overcome his face. He faked a cough and cleared his throat.

"Good to know," he said plainly.

"I saw that, Tom Hanson!" Judy giggled. Tom, almost bashful, opened his mouth to protest, but instead changed his mind.

"You did? Good."

Next, to Hanson's surprise and without standing all the way up, Hoffs reached across him and grabbed one of the large beach towels. She opened it up carefully behind her, laying the white towel out over the sand. Then she removed his jacket from her shoulders and placed it on top of the towel.

"You know we're technically off duty now, right?" Judy stared him straight in the eyes. "And I'm pretty sure no one can see us out here in the dark…"

"Hoffs…" Hanson began, not sure what to think of her… _Is this what I think it is?_ "What's going on?"

Judy didn't answer, and instead unzipped one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a thin wallet. She held it up to her nose.

"Yup, this reeks of cologne. It must belong to Penhall."

Hanson laughed, still unsure what to think.

"Perfect!" Judy tossed Hanson a playfully seductive look. Immediately, he could feel that being so close to her like this pulled at his heart, along with other parts.

"Tom Hanson," she said. "If there's a condom in this wallet, then today just might be your lucky day after all."

Judy placed the wallet down at the edge of the towel, just between them.

Tom paused for moment, and then smiled as he picked it up to look.

…


	7. Who's Responsible

Hi everyone! Thanks again for the reviews. This chapter is PG-13 (is that a real rating in Fan Fic world?). Enjoy and see you next time!**  
**

**. . .  
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**Chapter 7. **

_On the beach. Sunrise …_

_Thank - you - Penhall, _Hanson thought to himself, lying on his side on top of a white plastic lounge chair. Tucked against him in the front, Hoff's slim body remained nearly still, except for the warm beating of her heart and occasional rise of her middle when she sighed in her sleep. He drew her closer into him, tightening his arm draped across her stomach and chest, feeling her soft hair envelop his face.

Last night really had turned out to be Tom Hanson's lucky night after all. Closing his eyes and savoring Judy against him still, Hanson remembered the glow of her face in the moonlight, how she'd kept her brown eyes open, and the length of her throat. He saw himself moving above her, his dog tags hanging down over her chest. Judy's hands holding on tight to his hair, his back, his shoulders. Then her above him, the sweat between one body gliding over the other, thin legs and knobbed knees interwoven.

Warm under the day's new sun, Hanson lightly kissed the back of Hoff's neck and shoulders, stroking her arm from the top of her shoulder all the way down to her fingertips. He wanted her to wake up, but from past experience considered it dangerous to himself—and to the mood—to shake or poke a woman out of sleep.

Judy's cozy body did not stir.

"Hoffs…" he whispered, testing to see how soundly she slept. Tom wanted to tell her something, and decided that right now made the best practice for a rejection-free trial run.

"After the case, I plan to leave the Jump Street program. And police work. Like, not on a vacation or anything, but forever." Judy exhaled deeply, still asleep, turning over so that the two officers lay face to face.

"I want you to come with me, Hoffs," Tom told her. "Baby, please say yes."

. . .

Judy turned the shower knob to off and shivered as the bathroom's warm steam immediately began to fill with cool air. She tossed one of the motel's cheap white towels around her brown body and wrapped the other around her hair.

"Drat," Judy said out loud, alone in the bathroom. She'd remembered to bring her own blow dryer, makeup, and shorts into the bathroom, but forgot a shirt. Last night with Hanson was wonderful, but she now felt a conflicting sense of excitement _and_ guilt, and didn't want to rub into Booker's face how intimate she'd become with another man not too long after he admitted his own feelings for her. Luckily Booker must've left the room, probably for an early breakfast, before she and Hanson returned from the beach this morning. _Phew! _Judy exclaimed, holding her breath, when they'd keyed into the door and found no sign of Dennis. _Booker is a big boy. He can handle it, _Tom replied and squeezed her shoulder.

"Hello?" Judy called out from the bathroom, checking to see if Dennis had finally come in. No answer. She peeked her head out from the doorway and saw an empty room. Relieved, Judy pulled a shirt out from her bag, then stopped beside Hanson's. Wherever he'd slipped off to, she already missed him. On the beach last night, or maybe this morning, she'd dreamed about Tom Hanson the whole time she lay sleeping in his arms. Looking down above Hanson's bag, Judy noticed a small, familiar logo showing on top of a book of papers in between his clothes. She hesitated, not wanting to invade his privacy, but something pushed her to look.

"'Formal procedure for deactivation,'" Hoffs read out loud. Holding the packet in her hands, the slight weight of it suddenly felt like a ton of bricks. Judy thumbed through the pages, seeing Tom's name typed into several blank spots above dotted lines. The date lines remained blank though, as did the spots for his signature.

"Morning." Judy jumped at the greeting, as Hanson, distracted, entered the room behind her carrying two cups of coffee and a plastic bag. The expression on his handsome face was clearly happy, or as close to happy as Tom Hanson ever allowed himself to appear.

"You know, I don't think that I've ever seen all of your teeth at once." Judy plopped down on the bed and slid the paperwork back into his bag, undetected.

"Huh?" Tom asked her, setting the coffee cups and bag down on a small table, and then noticeably choosing to sit down in a chair across the room.

"All the world loves a smile, Hanson."

"Oh. Ha." He raised his mouth in a half smile. "Well I love yours. So seeing one is enough for me." Tom looked down, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Breakfast." He looked back up at Judy, clearly thinking about something. But neither of them moved. Tom sat silently for a minute. Judy remained tightly covered only by towels.

"Umm, Hoffs? Can I ask you something?"

Judy nodded, not sure what to expect from her partner's weighty silence.

"Can you put on some clothes, please?"

"What?" Judy giggled, relieved. "Is that all? Hanson, I came out here straight from the shower right before you walked in. I needed to come out to grab a shirt."

"Listen, that's all well and good," Tom continued, placing his hands on his knees. "But unfortunately, we're back on duty, Detective." He licked his lips and appeared troubled, seemingly talking to himself just as much as her.

"Frankly there're _all_ sorts of things that I'd like to do to you right now, sitting there like that. But I can't. Because we're on duty."

"Hanson!" Judy exclaimed, thoroughly amused by his behavior. "I'm probably more covered up in these towels than I'll be in my street clothes all day long!" Tom shook his head and ran a hand across his mouth again.

"Come on, Jude. I'm trying to be an officer _and_ a gentleman here." Hanson raised his eyebrows. Judy smiled and stood up, walking past him to change in the bathroom. "Thank you!" he called after her.

Changing, alone, Judy thought back to her own half-naked encounter with Booker the day before._ We're all just as bad as the spring break kids, _she thought smiling. _Maybe it's the room?_ In truth, until his admission of having such strong feelings for her, Judy had felt tempted by Dennis. His confidence and the way he was always so straight up with her made him very attractive. Not to mention the body. But Booker had one major thing going against him: He wasn't Hanson. _Nobody could beat that_, she thought, remembering last night and thinking of the man now outside the door. Judy changed her mind, quickly, pulling off her clothes again and hanging them on the towel bar.

"Damn!" she yelled and thumped her fist against the wall, borrowing a play from someone else's book.

"Judy?" Hanson called toward her concerned, getting up and arriving at the doorway just in time to walk up against Judy's bare flesh.

"Uhh…" Hanson threw his hands up in surprise, but was unable to move or take his eyes off of Judy as she stood there naked, her damp hair pushed back. "Hoffs. This is not helping with, you know, the being on duty." She smiled at him but did not speak. "So… Go put some clothes on?" Hanson continued. Judy shook her head negative, grabbed on to a handful of his shirt, and pulled Hanson farther into the bathroom with her.

"Nuh uh," she told him.

"No?" he asked meekly, at the same time pushing the door shut and turning the lock behind him.

. . .

"Glad that I caught you two," Captain Fuller's voice directed out from speaker phone, no less official than in person. "I tried Ioki and Penhall's room earlier, but there was no answer. Where's Booker? Is he with you?"

"We haven't seen Dennis at all this morning." Judy, finally dressed for the day, stood beside Hanson, also fully clothed, as the two of them hovered over the room phone. "We assumed that he was out for breakfast, but come to think of it, Hanson and I haven't actually laid eyes on _anyone_ else since last night. Back in the woods."

"What do you mean you haven't seen them since _last night_?" Fuller's tone of frustration carried over the phone, and Judy could imagine him pacing in front of his desk. As if reading her thoughts, Hanson held his hand just below her gaze, turning the middle and index fingers down and pretending to make them walk like a person.

"It's eleven in the morning, guys! What's everyone been doing? Didn't you all check in? And what's this about the woods?"

Judy, sure that she must look as guilty as she now felt, cleared her throat, glad that the captain couldn't actually see her, and began to explain the young woman Lydia's drug-induced death.

By the end of the story, Hoffs realized that she must've started crying, because Hanson reached up to wipe away her tears. The deep look in his brown eyes made her feel even sadder, instead of comforted, as she thought about the void that would fill her work life at Jump Street without him there. The captain's voice quickly entered back into the room and drew her back from any wandering thoughts.

"Hmm," Fuller began, sounding concerned. "That makes me even more anxious over the information I have here to share with you two. Hanson?"

"Coach!" Tom took Judy's place over the speaker.

"Did you pick up that fax I sent to the front desk this morning?"

"Yes' sir."

"And?" Fuller asked, once again impatient.

"Well, I didn't open it yet, captain." Hanson's response met with silence on the other end of the line. "So… now would be a good time?"

"Bingo," Adam replied. He continued speaking while the two officers looked at the documents he'd sent. "The man you're looking at is Ram_ó_n Doyle-Alvarez. He's our drug smuggler, running his operation across the Caribbean and here in the states as well. Doyle grew up in the Metro city area but moved to Puerto Rico after his parents died in a car accident. He was only 16."

"Captain, I think we know this man," Hanson said gravely. "From last night. He helped us search for the girl."

"And then he offered to go for the police," added Judy.

"Well I doubt he carried through on that promise, Hoffs," Fuller continued. "Ram_ó_n has been in the business for nearly ten years now, so he's around your age. He has a lot to lose, yet also nothing to lose at all. This report says that he's killed several cops, and has several others on the take. He's extremely dangerous, guys. I want you to be careful on this one. If it's not looking good, don't hesitate to come back home without him."

"Oh god," Judy said, looking at Hanson, eyes full of worry. "We left them there. Penhall, Ioki, and Booker. We left them there with _him_. I'm going to check Penhall and Ioki's room to see if they're in there." Quickly, Judy turned and headed out the door.

"Be careful!" Tom called behind her.

"Hanson. Are you alone?" The captain spoke quietly.

"Yes."

"Look, Hanson. I'm not trying to get in your business, but you need to be responsible."

"Captain, I'm not sure I know what you mean." Tom held his chin in his hand and waited for Fuller's response.

"I've been there before, son," Fuller paused. "_With_ a partner. While we were on duty—"

"With all due respect, Captain, it's not like that." Tom cut him off quickly, keeping his voice low.

"Hanson, I know that my past _indiscretion _is nothing like whatever you've got going on with Hoffs. I saw this one coming from the first week that I met you two." Fuller chuckled. "I'm just glad that Penhall or Booker didn't beat you to it." Tom replied with an inaudible frown. "Anyway, Hanson, just try to keep it cool until the case is over and you're all back at the chapel safe and sound. This case…" The captain paused again, "really has me worried."

"Okay," Tom answered back plainly. He took a quick glance over his shoulder toward the door to make sure that Judy hadn't yet returned to the room. "But how'd you know about _us_ now, coach?"

"I told you, Hanson, I was a young man once too. Besides. Penhall and I both saw you together in that not-so-little PDA on the side of her car." Hanson, cursed under his breath. "Yeah. Real slick, Officer Hanson. Real slick."

"You have my word that it won't happen again."

"Don't make promises that you can't keep, son." Fuller sighed. "Hanson, don't you know that when it comes to women, we're not ever the one in charge?"

. . .


	8. Partners

_Hey guys! This chapter is a bit short… Getting ready for some bigger action!_

_As always, happy weekend and thanks for reading!_

**Chapter 8. **

"Can I come in?" Booker stood at the door of the motel room, face to face with Hanson. Was this really the guy that he'd been risking his own neck, and playing Ram_ó_n, to help? _Not him_, Dennis reminded himself. _Her. I'm in this for Judy. _

"It's your room too," Tom replied, coolly eying Booker. Hanson stepped to the side to give Dennis enough room to pass.

"Maybe," Dennis began, speaking so low that only Hanson could hear. "But you're the one playing house up in here, Hanson. The room… the beach… I don't know what part of _that_ constitutes good police work. But, whatever, _you're_ the beloved boy scout."

It broke Booker's heart last night when he'd come back to the motel room with Ram_ó_n, intending to double-cross him, but then Judy and Tom never showed up. When he and the impatient drug lord finally decided to leave, Ram_ó_n suggested that they walk along the beach, where his men would be waiting a mile down to pick them up. _These kids are like animals_, Ram_ó_n said to him, laughing softly and pointing across the beach to a young man and woman, totally oblivious, making love. Luckily, Ram_ó_n didn't stare long enough to notice, but Dennis did. He saw Judy and Hanson there, together. Tom Hanson with the woman _he_ loved, close to her in a way that Dennis realized she would probably never allow him be. _Yeah… animals… _he'd said back to Ram_ó_n, glad that the man didn't see him quickly wipe away the few tears that escaped from his eyes, and the heavy sadness that overtook every step of his walk.

"What the hell—" Tom's eyes became piercing on Booker's last remark, and he cocked his head in a subtle snarl.

"Dennis!" Judy exclaimed, running up behind them from the courtyard. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged Booker. "Thank god you're here! I couldn't find the others. Penhall and Harry. Something's wrong. They're missing." Dennis didn't know what hurt him most at that moment. The feeling of love and sadness that took over his body when she pressed against him, or what he knew he had to do next.

"Bitch!" Booker yelled loudly, seeing Hoffs draw back in surprise, and Hanson move quickly in front of her, as if Judy needed protecting. "How dare you touch me with those same hands that you use to touch _him_."

"Ohh, Dennis…" Judy began regretfully. Upon seeing Booker's gun aimed at Hanson, she stopped.

"Inside! The both of you, now. Move!"

. . .

Agitated, Doug Penhall sat beside Harry Ioki, both of their backs against the wall, in a dark, abandoned warehouse not too far from where Ram_ó_n first captured them all in the woods. In the dusty room, an open staircase led up to long gangways on a second level, and rusted machinery lined the sides of the walls on the lower level. Sooty windows let in a faint bit of light but keep the people inside undetected by any unlikely passersby.

"It smells like tuna fish in here," Penhall blurted out unexpectedly, looking up from his seat on the floor as another one of Ram_ó_n's goons walked by. The man stopped in his tracks, work boots dusty and heavy, holding a sandwich in his hand.

"Tu madre," the man began, "She just left. We tell her that you say 'hi.'" The man nodded up at a different thug who looked otherwise bored, clearly on watch over the two police officers from the north. Then he broke a small piece from the corner of his sandwich, and tossed it on the floor next to Doug.

"Cute," Penhall replied as the man walked away. He then raised his two hands, bound together by thickly wrapped rope. "But you guys apparently never heard of 'hospitality.' Why are _we_ stuck down here, tied up _and_ hungry, while _Booker_ has dinner in the boss' office _and_ gets to come and go as he likes?" With a sharp whistle and jut of his chin, Doug caught the man on guard's eye and gestured to the top of the staircase where the intimidating silhouette of a man sitting at a desk showed through dusty, old, beveled glass.

"Don't _you_ get to eat with Ram_ó_n too?"

"No," the man answered plainly. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to reading a book.

…_One full day passes…_

Uncomfortable, Penhall bit down lightly on his lip. His t-shirt clung to his body, even darker and soaked in cool sweat.

"Harry…" Doug called out quietly to his friend, rousing Ioki out of a shallow sleep.

"What?" Ioki replied. "Is it time for these goons to kill us yet?" Doug forced a chuckle, remembering the department therapist's advice that he must try to stay calm.

"I'm not doing so well, buddy," Penhall's voice wavered and his face held a timid smile. Doug hoped Harry remembered hearing about his claustrophobia from Hanson months ago and might notice the antsy discomfort building behind his friend's eyes. "This place makes me feel like I'm in a prison."

Slowly, Ioki rocked his bottom half from side to side against the cold, dusty ground, turning so that he sat facing Penhall, legs folded, instead of beside him.

"Hang in there man," Harry whispered, looking calmly into Penhall's eyes. "Just think of this as us being roommates again."

"_You_ never tied me up, Iok."

"No, I didn't," Harry held back a laugh, and then changed the subject. "You know, this warehouse reminds me of a Green Giant factory that I worked in outside of St. Louis, the year that I came over from Vietnam."

"Uhh… that was random, Ioki. Really?" Penhall tried to focus on his partner talking, ignoring the panic inside of him. Ioki nodded.

"Before I learned enough English to go to school, I'd get a ride every morning with one of the neighbors who already worked there. We'd spend the whole day on line, sifting peas and green beans with our hands and arms. We were looking for small rocks, nuts, or anything else that a family wouldn't want to find hiding in their dinner."

"Man. That must have been boring as hell! At fourteen too."

"Not really," Harry continued. "I practiced speaking English all day long with the other guys on the line. And I wasn't the only recent immigrant there. It all helped me to not feel so alone. Kids my own age could sometimes be unfriendly or cruel, because I was different. But the older guys, they saw that I was a hard worker. That's what mattered to them most." Harry saw Doug smile and blink his eyes drowsily.

"You know, we've been here for a long time now. A least twenty-four hours straight. If you want to catch a few winks, Penhall, I can keep watch."

"Yeah," Doug replied. He leaned deeper back against the wall and let his head fall to the size. "That'd be real nice."

…_Several hours later…_

"Hey Iokage," Penhall, clearly feeling better, watched a mouse scurry past them on the ground and into a hole on the wall. "Maybe that's _our_ dinner?"

"I wonder what happened to Judy and Hanson," Harry replied quietly, noticing that the guard on watch had fallen asleep. "You think they're coming for us yet?"

"Let's hope so," Doug replied, somber. "You know man," he continued, "Hanson almost has it all. _If_ we get of this island alive.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "What 'all' does Hanson have?"

"Except for Hoffs, Iok, I don't know anybody these days who comes from a family that isn't broken. Think about it." He paused. "Dead parents… divorced parents… kids who run away… _You_ know what I mean, man. Right now, back home, I've got Clavo staying at the babysitter's. What that kid really needs is a mom. Hell, _I _need that too. We all do. It's like you were talking about before, about that factory, how you didn't feel alone because you were with friends and felt respect. At work at JumpStreet, we all have that together. But _then_ we go home at night…" Doug paused, and Harry looked on quietly. "It'd be nice to have a _real_ family. Hanson has a shot at that now, with Judy."

"_If_ we make it…"

. . .


	9. Who Can You Trust?

_Here we go, guys! Work has been super busy these past couple of weeks but I'm hanging in there! Look for the shout outs to SheJams and Cerisa. Thanks to everyone for your reviews. Happy weekend!_

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**Chapter 9. **

_There's been a change of plans, amigo,_ Ram_ó_n told Booker that night. The two of them sat face-to-face across a desk, alone in Ram_ó_n's office at the warehouse. Dennis pretended to enjoy the man's company—and a _cold _plate of chicken and rice—while he listened to him talk about ideas for how to dispose of the JumpStreet officers. Finally, Ram_ó_n made up his mind.

_Kill him, that cop Hanson, _Ram_ó_n gave the order, _But I want you to bring me the woman. La bonita. _Startled, Dennis starred down into his plate and shoved another mouthful of cold food between his lips. _Why? _Booker asked, not looking up. The other man, clearly more dangerous, took a moment to speak. _She means nothing to you anymore, right? _Ram_ó_n was testing him, Dennis hoped. But he continued. _You know, Mister Booker, it gets pretty lonely up here. What I mean to say, and excuse my bluntness, is that I could definitely… 'use' a girl like that in my life. Surely, you know what I mean... _

. . .

"Alright listen," Booker began, speaking quickly and softly so that only Hanson and Hoffs could hear him, gun still raised. "We've got about five minutes to figure something out. Hanson, I'm supposed to end you. Judy, I'm supposed to kidnap you and bring you to a warehouse." Dennis straightened his posture and raised his chin defiantly in a wide, dramatic gesture. "Move! Now! The both of you!"

Tom and Judy walked backward into their room, hands raised and eyes on Booker. Dennis held his gun steady on Hanson, unable to point it at Judy even for pretend. In front of him, Hanson's eyes narrowed in a tightly controlled rage. Inside the room, Booker kicked the door closed behind him. He lowered the gun.

"I'm sorry," Dennis said, looking straight into Hoffs' brown eyes and hoping that she'd feel his sincerity. "The guy we came down here to look for, the drug smuggler, he has Ioki and Penhall. They're alright for now, but they're hungry and tied up. So this smuggler, he pinned us all for cops right off the bat, back on the beach that night before the girl died. I played him and he believed my cover as the jealous boyfriend type. Regardless, he still sent two of his thugs here to make sure that I don't double cross him. The two idiots are out in the courtyard right now. Waiting."

"This wonderful human being you're describing wouldn't happen to be Ram_ó_n Doyle-Alvarez, would he?" Hanson more stated than asked, slightly cooled off and rubbing his chin.

"Yeah," Dennis replied. "How do you know about him?"

"Fuller. The captain called earlier with the info. Hoffs and I saw a photo." Hanson licked his lips. "But there is _one _thing I don't know. Booker. You sure you're not too buddy-buddy with this Doyle guy? I mean, the man must trust _you _to let you roam free, while Doug and Harry stay behind locked in some cage."

"Listen, Hanson," Booker began, "I am the _only_ thing keeping you alive right now. You, Ioki, Penhall… everyone. Cop or not, I'm no sellout. I still believe in brotherhood." Dennis paused again. "But to be clear, Hanson, I meant _everything_ I said to you before at the door. My apology only extends to Judy."

"Damn it you two," Judy finally broke her silence, moving between the two men. "Penhall and Ioki could be _dead_ by now." She turned to Tom. "Hanson, give him a break. And, Dennis—" Judy flipped back. "_I _trust you. _We_ trust you." Judy looked expectantly at Tom. Hanson exhaled forcefully and shook his head in disbelief. Judy kept looking. "Thomas. Hanson."

"Fine," Hanson consented. "So, great savior Booker, what's your plan?"

Dennis chuckled.

"She's got you whipped like that already? Man, Tommy, I would have figured—"

"Dennis!" Judy cut him off, menacing yet whispering her scold. "What-is-your-plan? Because I hope to god that you have one and we're not all about to get killed."

"Yeah, I got a plan," Booker replied coolly. "But first I'll need my leather jacket."

. . .

Under the dark night sky, Tom hiked in front of Booker, regretful to be away from Judy for so long. He thought back to the last time her saw her earlier in the day, just before splitting up.

_Hanson, I want you to come back to the warehouse with me. We'll tell Ram_ó_n she's dead._ Booker had given Tom a meaningful look, clearly hoping his rival would understand the seriousness of the situation. Easily, he did. Judy wasn't pleased. _Where are we, Victorian England?_ Hoffs interrupted, clearly pissed, looking from Hanson to Booker. _I am a police officer. And I've got higher rank than either of you. I'm coming. _Hanson raised his arm across her chest. _No, you're not. _Before either of them could speak again, Booker raised the gun and fired two shots into the bed across the room. _Judy! _Hanson screamed like he meant it, and reached across to violently rip down from the collar of Dennis' shirt.

Tom looked up just in time to see the handle of Booker's gun hit the side of his head. Hard. Everything went black.

Now, walking uneasily over the sand and brush, Hanson's ears rang and a fresh blood stain tinted the side of his face. The backs of his pants were tattered, likely from Booker's dragging. Uncuffed, Tom followed behind the two goons. Booker kept up his end of the game as well, holding his gun in his hands, off safety, marching steadily behind Hanson.

"You're moving a little slow there, Hanson," Dennis said loudly, jabbing at Tom's back with his hand. Hanson nearly fell forward, catching his balance on a nearby tree. Booker continued.

"Day dreaming about that dead girlfriend of yours? Looks like she chose the wrong man."

Ram_ó_n's henchmen snickered ahead of them, walking steadily uphill and through the brush. Tom remembered the last time he saw her, how Judy's face loomed fuzzy over his own, her lips lightly kissing his. Booker said something, and then she disappeared. He'd fallen into the black again, Booker pulling him from under the arms.

Hanson pushed the memory out of his mind, trying to focus, and steadied himself by pushing up off of the tree.

"Gee, I don't know, Book," Hanson said, regaining balance. "It looks to me like she chose the _only_ man."

"Whatever. Keep walking!" Dennis yelled, grimacing. But the two goons ahead of them stopped. Tom wiped his hand over his face, for the first time seeing the dark warehouse not too far ahead of them. One of the men took out a flashlight, signaling toward the dim building. Almost immediately, the faint light of a signal returned.

"We go," the man instructed. Booker grabbed onto Hanson's hands at his wrists, holding them low and behind his back.

Once inside, Tom ran his eyes up and down the building. Ram_ó_n's office sat near the top of the stairwell, just like Booker said. Halfway across the room on the first floor, he saw Penhall and Ioki propped up against a wall, hands and feet tied.

. . .

"You know, buddy, if you missed me you could've just called!" Penhall gave Hanson a big smile after the guards threw him down roughly on the floor next to Ioki.

"Nice to see you guys too," Tom replied sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. Hidden between his back and the wall, he inconspicuously moved his wrists apart, trying to test the slack of the rope knotted around them. It was loose. _Thank you, Booker, _Hanson thought ironically.

"So where's your girlfriend?" Doug asked, winking. Tom glanced at Ioki questioningly.

"He's pretending that we're all at a bar," said Harry. "Just all out for drinks on a regular Saturday night at the bar."

"Fair enough," Tom replied. Just then, the dark shadow of a man fell at Hanson's feet. Tom looked first at the man's shoes. Polished. "You must be Ram_ó_n."

"And you're the famous Officer Hanson," Ram_ó_n answered slowly, looking Tom up and down. "This is it?" He laughed, and turned to Booker beside him. "My instinct was right about you, sir. I wanted the girl for myself, yes, but needed to test your... dependability to me as well."

Dennis shrugged his shoulders.

"Ram_ó_n, I don't follow."

"Last night on the beach,I recognized that couple _together _on the sand. I _knew _you would too. So your jealousy does indeed run deep, Booker. Deeper than love or loyalty."

"Jesus!" Hanson said, licking his lips. "_You _saw that?" He paused. "Coach was right. 'When it comes to women, we're not ever the ones in control...'"

"What? _Hanson_. You been holding out on me, man?" Doug asked.

"Why is everyone sneaking around and catching Tom and Judy in the act?" added Ioki. "Apparently I'm the only person left who hasn't seen them. It's madness, I tell you!"

Almost embarrassed, Hanson looked past his partners and Ram_ó_n. His head ached inside, and felt sticky on the outside from the blood. But his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. At least he thought. Through a thick layer of dust on the already opaque window, Hanson saw a woman's silhouette. The familiar slim build. A mass of curls.

Slow and meaningfully, Hanson turned his gaze to Booker only.

"That woman just may be the death of me."


	10. To Save You

_Hi everyone! Sorry that I'm so very late on an update. I took a JumpStreet break and started a story for Lincoln Heights too. If any of you are fans of the show, there's a link to the story on my profile. It's in script form so had to be posted on Blogger because of FFN's no-script rule. _

_Thanks for sticking with this story! I hope to update again at the end of the week! Feels like we're getting close to the end!  
_

**Chapter 10. **

Judy sat across the room from Ram_ó_n, her warm brown skin glowing and complimented by a silk pink robe. Her hair, pinned up and decorated with a single flower, fell delicately from the top of her head in loose waves. _If looks could kill_, Hoffs thought to herself, brown eyes set angrily on the boss across from her. Alone together in his office, Judy realized she'd never really seen Ram_ó_n before, and so took the time to study him. The square jaw, hazel eyes, and small scar on the side of his cheek. Strong hands and knuckles that surprisingly appeared to know work.

"I am not a forceful man, Ms. Hoffs," Ram_ó_n broke the silence. "But I do admire beautiful things." After pouring himself a drink, the man pushed a cup toward Judy at the other end of the table.

"You mean that you like to see grown women dressed up like dolls, for your enjoyment?" Hoffs ignored the glass.

"Don't you like the change of clothes? Surely they're more comfortable." He took a sip. "As I've said, mujer, I am indeed a gentleman, and also a man of my word. So now _you_ must make _your_ choice. For the freedom of your friends, Ms. Hoffs, what are you willing to give me? I am patient, but I know what I want."

Not answering him, Judy stood up and walked to the office door where she could look down and see Hanson. He still looked hurt. _It all seemed like such a possible plan at first, _Hoffs thought, wishing that Hanson could hear her mind. _How did we all get ourselves into this mess?_

. . .

_Less than an hour earlier…_

"Hoffs, get down! They'll see your silhouette through the glass." Adam Fuller crouched low on the side of the warehouse, gun in hand. Judy felt him tug on her pant leg and reluctantly dropped down onto the sandy ground beside her commanding officer.

"Captain, they'd just think I was a tree," Judy replied, keeping her head raised just above the bottom of the window, attempting to peek inside.

"Trees aren't shaped like women, Judy," Fuller replied. "Do me a favor—stay low."

Judy half ignored the captain, keeping her head up and hoping that by sheer concentration she'd be able to stare through the dirty glass. She'd wanted to scream earlier in the day when Dennis hit Hanson on the head with his gun. _He's just knocked out, Judy, _Booker told her swiftly before grabbing Tom under the shoulders and dragging him toward the motel room door. _They're coming. Quick, into the shower, now! _Judy sat there, still on the hard shower floor, listening as a heavy jumble of footsteps met Dennis at the door and he ordered the men to help carry Hanson's body away before anyone else responded to the gun shots. _She's dead. Move! _Booker shouted at the men with him. Chilled against the tile, Judy waited for what seemed like an eternity before raising herself off the floor to go call for backup.

_Doyle-Alvarez, _Judy began on the phone with Fuller, _He's got everyone. Ioki, Penhall, and Hanson. Booker is trying to work some angle but this guy has got his thumb on him too._ She listened to the captain respond that he'd be there on the next flight. _Good, _Judy replied, thinking of Hanson and her friends and gathering courage in her voice. _This ends tonight. _

"Dammit, captain, I think someone saw me! They're moving around inside." Judy ducked back down and looked urgently at Fuller.

"It feels like I'm having a bad flashback from Vietnam," Fuller sighed shaking his head. "We have to hide in the bushes. Now. Go."

. . .

"She will _definitely_ be the death of me," Tom Hanson repeated from the floor, staring Dennis Booker in the eyes.

"You said that already," Dennis replied, wondering if he'd hit Hanson too hard earlier with the gun. Tom kept his gaze focused on Booker, and the pretend traitor began to worry about his real partner, seeing Hanson's hair matted down to the side of his face by sweat and blood.

"Why don't you take a hike, Booker?" Hanson continued and then looked back up at Ram_ó_n. "I'd be much more inclined to cooperate if you sent this _murderer_ outside." Without notice, Ram_ó_n raised his boot and kicked Tom deep in the ribs, bruising his body against the concrete wall. A sharp wheeze escaped Hanson's mouth as his body dropped forward at the waist, coughing and gasping for breath. Cautiously, Penhall scooted close to his friend to help prop him back up, eyes full with concern. Ioki glared at Booker.

Ram_ó_n pulled a cigarette from his pocket and motioned to one of the guards for a light. He took a slow drag and then crouched down beside Tom.

"This is _my_ house," Alvarez said calmly, speaking closely beside Hanson's ear. "Nobody 'cooperates' here. You do as I say." Lightly, the man tapped on one end of his cigarette so that ash from the other end fell on Hanson's shoulder.

"Ram_ó_n," Booker interrupted, his face tight. "This is heavy. Can I, get some air? Just a couple of minutes?" Dennis pushed aside one of the warehouse thugs who tried to stand in his way just before Ram_ó_n motioned for the men to let him go.

"Jealousy is a powerful emotion, my friend," Ram_ó_n said plainly.

Outside the warehouse door and in the black, humid night, Dennis looked to his left and then his right.

"I'm alone," he whispered, stepping away from the door so that no one inside could hear. From behind the brush alongside the building, a person stepped out. "Fuller," Dennis greeted the man. "And?" The slender young woman revealed herself next. "Hi, Judy. So you just couldn't stay away..."

. . .

"It's a good thing she called me," Fuller spoke to Booker, taking control of the conversation. "It looks like you _all_ needed somebody to come down here and save your asses." The captain cocked his head and stared at Dennis intently. "So what's the plan, Booker?" Knowingly, Adam braced for the first response that he expected to hear.

"_Booker_?" Hoffs cut in, nearly raising her voice and moving her body into the middle of the wide space between the men. "There are _two_ of us here, captain, and I want to get everyone out of there _alive_ just as much as you and Dennis do."

"No you don't, Judy." Fuller shook his head looked at her with sympathy. "You want to get in there _more _than we do because it's become a personal matter, between you and Hanson. Keeping our objectivity is the most important thing right now."

"I _want_ to help," Judy replied, one hand on her hip and the other punctuating her speech in the air. Lightly, Dennis caught her by the wrist and held onto Judy's waist from the back.

"Actually, I think you're the _only_ one who can get us out of this. Ram_ó_n _wants_ you, Judy. Play this out with me." Dennis looked back at Adam. "You too, sir. Whatever you _think_ is happening. Right at this moment, I need you back in the bushes." In total trust, Adam fell back into the brush, just barely able to see Booker lift Judy up and pretend to slam her back into the building's window, a loud thud made by his own forearms. Immediately, the warehouse door flew open and three dingy men came running outside.

. . .

"It will _never_ be me! _Will_ it? After _everything_ I've done for you! _All_ for you!" Forcing his hands, Dennis grabbed hold of Judy's neck on both sides and started to squeeze. Her eyes bulged in surprise and pain, but she did not try to struggle or speak. One of Ram_ó_n's men grabbed onto Dennis' shoulder to pull him off the woman, but Booker spun around and punched him square between the eyes, knocking the man back onto the ground and then lunging on top of him. The two other men yelled, but Dennis kept punching and punching, blood covering his hands and soaking into his jacket and shirt, the man's face and still body below him. Judy remained against the wall and gasping for breath. With the last impact of Booker's fist, one loud shot after the other broke through the air. Dennis fell on top of the man below him, his heavy body continuing to slump onto the side. Gun in his hand, the guard walked over to Booker's body and kicked him to the side. In the dark, Judy couldn't see Dennis' face, only the smeared blood on the bottom of his chin and blotches on the front of his shirt that showed out from underneath Booker's trademark leather jacket. Seeing the men focused on Dennis, Judy turned to run down the hill, forgetting all about the captain. But before she made it anywhere, hands were all over her, and then her feet and top half both rose above the ground. Limbs protesting, the two henchmen carried Hoffs inside, past the helpless Hanson, Ioki, and Penhall, and upstairs to Ram_ó_n's office.

. . .


	11. Dead or Alive?

_Thanks Raven for reminding me that I need to finish this story! Also, I'm planning to go ahead and post part of my Lincoln Heights story on FFN later today, for any of the show's fans._

**Chapter 11. **

"Dennis is dead," Hoffs spoke softly and through tears, bravery and sorrow seen equally on her face. She placed a hand on the window of the door leading out from Ram_ó_n's office. She could see Ioki, Penhall, and Hanson still down on the floor, hands tied behind their backs and feet bound. Hanson looked pale and in pain from Ram_ó_n's kick.

"What do you want from us?" Judy turned to her captor, Ram_ó_n, a man she wished they'd all never met. "I know what you want from… me. But why won't you let the others go? Can't you just let them go?"

In her heart, Judy already knew that her best friends would die. Booker was gone already. She'd watched him beat and pound against that other man's face until the shots rang out from behind him, and then Dennis' body went cold.

When Judy earlier stumbled into the warehouse, sobbing, arms behind her and one of Doyle's goons pushing her ahead, she saw the fear behind Doug, Harry, and Hanson's eyes.

Harry… her closest friend and confidant for the past few years. The two shared so many secrets. Harry was the only person at JumpStreet who knew about her pregnancy back in high school, and how much it worried Judy that one time that she thought her parent were going to get a divorce. Judy was the first person at Ioki's side the day he got shot, and the most relentless one in the bunch at finding new women that he might like and trying to set him up.

Then there was Penhall. Doug Penhall. Judy's former and fleeting office crush, messy hair and bright smile, built halfway between a linebacker and a teddy bear.

And, of course, Hanson.

Judy stumbled toward her three friends at first, assuming that she'd be tied up and pushed to sit against the wall as well. But Ram_ó_n's goon kept shoving her forward. Judy's eyes locked with Tom's when the panic set in. _What the hell! Where are you taking her? _Hanson started to thrash against the wall, struggling to get to her. He looked like a fish caught on a line. The goons laughed. Penhall and Ioki tried to calm him down.

Tom Hanson.

Judy closed her eyes to remember the first time they'd kissed, the feeling of his lips against hers. Skin against skin, their night together on the beach. She and Hanson had known each other for so long, but now, in the end, they'd have so little time together.

Abandoning her thoughts and recent memories, Judy realized that Ram_ó_n hadn't answered her question. Alone together, his eyes ran across the form of her pink satin robe. Ram_ó_n showed the calm expectation of a man used to getting whatever he wanted.

"If I'm _with_ you," Judy began, "If I stay here with you, will you let the others go?"

"I'll think about it," Ram_ó_n answered, leaned back in his desk chair and feet crossed at the ankles. "So have you made _your_ decision?"

Silently and unable to force herself to move otherwise, Judy unfastened the tie to her robe.

. . .

"Who the hell started a _fire_?" All but two of Doyle's thugs walked back into the warehouse, annoyed and anxious over the false alarm.

"_Esta_ idiota!" A different man roughly grabbed one of the other guys by the back of his shirt. "_He's_ always throwing down his cigarillos without stomping them out after he smokes."

"Get off me!" The man pushed away. "_I_ did not! But that bush went off in a flame somehow, man. We need to tell the boss."

"No!" The first goon yelled. "He's… busy." The man looked up at the office door and grinned, before looking over at Hanson. "_You_ know, right man? _Busy_." Hanson glared back at the man, steel in his dark eyes. Behind his back, Tom's hands rested together but free, imitating their previously bound pose. But Hanson did not speak.

"Everyone has a crush on that little morena, si?" In heavy work boots, the man walked up in front of Tom and looked down over him.

Hanson's gaze cooled and he met the crook's eyes.

"You're first," Tom said plainly.

"What? Nah," the man replied, oblivious, "Me gusta las rubias." The man began to cackle as he turned away from Hanson, taking a step back toward his friends.

"Don't trip," Hanson spoke again, eyes on the man.

"What—" Like lightening, Hanson kicked and swiped his feet forward, knocking the thug off his balance and falling into Tom's outstretched, now free hands. Hanson had his hands on the man's gun, and then gun to the man's neck before the others could respond.

"I'll shoot," Hanson said, eyes moving back and forth over the eight men now forming a half circle around him and the JumpStreet officers.

"We work for Ram_ó_n, not each other," one of the other goons replied, a cruel smile on his face. "Why should we care about him?"

"_Then_ _care about yourself_!" In another flash, Penhall and Ioki dove forward, bringing down three of the thugs to their level and fighting, feet still chained. A gun shot went off. The brawl on the floor froze, and the quietest of Ram_ó_n's guys, the one who clearly was in charge, stood behind the JumpStreet gang, a flunky next to him, both holding guns.

"Los gringos," the tall man began with little emotion in his voice, "It would be wise for you to end this little game now. Before I end you." In the intense quiet and still of the warehouse, the sound of a safely release echoed. But it wasn't from Ram_ó_n's guy.

Captain Fuller and Dennis Booker stepped out of a corner.

"I think it's a question of who can shoot faster," the captain said calmly.

"And I'd bet on him and me," Booker added, blood staining his hands, cheek, and the Kevlar vest now visible beneath his leather jacket.

Without turning around to address the cops behind him directly, the leader spoke.

"This is _Puerto Rico_, my friends. There are no Mexican standoffs in Puerto Rico." The man unlocked his gun safety as well. "Two or three of my men might fall, but _you_, _none_ of you, will make it out of here alive."

"Then neither will he!" A female voice rang out from above. Judy, gun trained on Ram_ó_n's back stood several feet behind him on the second floor landing, Ram_ó_n's hands held above his head. Hanson smiled, nearly forgetting the gravity of the current situation.

"Judith!" Penhall struggled to yell against one of the workmen's elbows pressing down on his throat. "Good to see you, but _cover_ up!" Hoffs stood above them all, pink robe still on her body but untied, the bikini underneath visible but in place.

"She looks pretty good to me right now!" Ioki yelled, expertly holding two men in a headlock at once. "So what are your orders, Ms. Detective?"

"I think that this raggedy little crew needs to drop their weapons—slowly—and step back into the corner away from the JumpStreet officers."

"I've still got a shot, boss!" The group leader called up to Ram_ó_n, gun trained on Hanson.

"Yeah, well _she_ does too!" Ram_ó_n yelled back. "And trust me," he said softer, "She's fast…"

. . .

"Booker!" Doug Penhall said excitedly, "That was highly illegal—but _awesome_!"

"He set fire at the front and back doors of the warehouse," Hanson replied, bumping up and down from his viewpoint over Dennis' shoulder. "People could die."

"_You're_ worried about those guys' safety, Hamburger?" Booker replied. "Would one of them be carrying your lame ass through the jungle right now? _No_! And to tell the truth, _I_ can't believe that _I'm_ doing it. Listen, Mr. Pacifist, even you know that when those guys get their hands and feet loose, make it out, and regroup—because they will, and soon—they'll be trailing our asses fast, wanting to kill us all."

"Yeah, but we've got a little insurance," Ioki said, nodding at Ram_ó_n as he hurried the man along in between them and Judy and Captain Fuller at the lead.

"Yeah, assholes," Doyle-Alvarez called back behind him. "My men will find us. We've got the airports wired. La policia paid off. I'm sure they've radioed ahead by now, and are on our trail as well. We know these woods. This is _our_ island."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Booker replied. "Nice leadership back there, _jefe_. Don't you know better than to trust a big butt and a smile?"

"I _know_ you did not just say that I have a big butt, Dennis!" Hoffs yelled back, eyes still focused forward and pushing through the thick brush and black night beside Adam.

"Yeah, watch out Booker. _That girl is poison_!" Penhall grinned.

"Will you jerks quit annoying my girlfriend?" Hanson more commanded than asked in his tone.

"Woah!" Penhall and Ioki exclaimed in unison.

"'_Girl-friend_!' That was _fast_!" Penhall continued.

"Oww! Damn it, Booker! Will you watch where you're going?" Hanson wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, fresh after being wacked by the long branches of a tree.

"Woops," Dennis replied dryly. Captain Fuller spun around.

"Hey guys," he began authoritatively, bringing everyone to a halt. "Let's pretend that we just got out of a potentially lethal standoff, inside of an international drug lord's abandoned warehouse headquarters in the middle of the woods, outside of our jurisdiction. Let's _imagine_ that there are by now at least twenty armed men chasing behind and in front of us, coming to save their boss and _kill_ us. Let's _pretend_."

"Okay," Penhall replied in a theatrical whisper. "We got it. 'Shut up?'"

"Yes, Penhall," the captain said, turning his back again but not moving forward, "Shut up."

"You idiotas will never make it out of here alive," Ram_ó_n threatened.

"_Shut up_!" Everyone yelled back at him at once.

"Wanna bet?" Fuller asked, looking up at the sky. From seemingly out of nowhere, its light off but the propeller wind heavy, one of the tourist helicopters used for sightseeing flew above the small clearing. Fuller removed a flashlight from his pocket and signaled above once. The passenger side door opened and ladder with a harness and flat bed flung down.

"Can we trust them?" Judy asked. As if to answer her question, the copilot flashed a flag out from the window with a Metro logo.

"Yup," Fuller replied, "We can trust them." He paused, looking with concern into the woods behind them. "But we've still got to all get aboard, and then out of here and into the Florida zone of the Gulf of Mexico. And it needs to happen fast."

"I'm not getting on that copter without a fight!" Ram_ó_n yelled. Efficiently, Penhall clocked Ram_ó_n in the head with an elbow, knocking the man out cold.

"Fight," Penhall said, shrugging his shoulders and looking to the captain for further instruction.

"We'll tie him onto the flatbed. Hanson, you can sit on it as well, strapped at the waist, but use your upper body strength to hang on to the ladder. I'll go in harnessed, supporting the bed. Ioki will take the bottom of the ladder and help us three to tie on. Penhall, you go _now_. Judy and Booker, I want you two climbing up as soon as Doug's fully on board. We should be fully harnessed by the time you're up. When Ioki signals, I need the three of you to work with the copilot to pull us all in."

"Captain, how long will this all take?" Judy asked, concerned about the rest of her crew making it aboard before any of Ram_ó_n's men looked up into the sky and spotted the tourist helicopter's unusual activity. Behind her, Penhall had already begun to climb.


	12. Not a Happy Ending?

_We're HERE guys! THANK YOU to everyone who hung in with this story the whole way through. _

**Chapter 12. **

_Two months later…_

"It always feels much too quiet in here just before summer vacation," said Doug Penhall. "And oddly cold."

Doug, Ioki, Hoffs, and Hanson sat together at the long, meeting table in the chapel, waiting for Fuller to come out of his office and start their final debrief of the school year. All of the other desks and chairs in the chapel were already covered by white cloth and pushed aside along the room's walls, as the captain had dismissed all of the program's other officers the day before.

"Look at us," Judy began, wearing an off-the-shoulder black sweatshirt and matching headband. She sat hip-to-hip next to Hanson, who was wearing an open black pea coat. They were both smiling and holding hands. "The _four_ of us," Hoffs continued, "Jump Street's _original_ officers…" Her voice took on a tone of sadness. "All together for one last time."

"Remember when Hanson used to be a square?" Ioki joked.

"Remember when Harry used to be Japanese?" Penhall added, playfully elbowing his friend in the ribs. "And back when Judy used to dress like Tina Turner?"

"Penhall—I remember when you screwed up and shot Hanson in the butt!"

"That's right," Penhall replied. "So how's it look, Hoffs? All healed?" Judy stuck her tongue out at Doug.

"I remember Captain Jenko," Hanson added somberly, lifting Judy's hand to his lips for a kiss.

"Here's to Jenko," she agreed, raising her paper coffee cup.

"One of a kind," Ioki added.

"Never forgotten," said Penhall.

"What are all you babies whining about?" A male voice sounded from the doorway, followed by the appearance of Dennis Booker. "Isn't this supposed to be a party or something? At least that's what Fuller told me over the phone."

"Dennis!" Judy exclaimed, jumping up from her seat at the table and throwing herself on him in a hug. Booker, rarely disarmed, looked surprised at first and unsure of how to respond. But he hugged her back tenderly, but quickly, and then moved to sit at the table next to Doug.

"I see you got your 'lucky' leather jacket cleaned," Penhall joked again, giving Booker a friendly slap on the back. Dennis smiled.

"Hey man, you disappeared that night after the helicopter landed," Hanson said, setting eyes on Booker for the first time since Puerto Rico.

"What's it to you, Hamburger?" Booker asked defensively.

"I just… wanted to say 'thank you,'" Tom replied calmly. "For carrying my ass through the woods. And saving the day. So, thank you, Booker." Dennis nodded his head in place of a verbal welcome.

"Not to ruin this beautiful moment," Ioki cut in, "But I'd say that Hoffs saved _all_ of our asses."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Judy laughed, and Tom raised her hand to kiss it again.

Everyone laughed, and Fuller walked out, dressed sharply as usual.

"Remember the first day we met _him_," Doug nodded his head up at the captain and smiled. "Remember? The captain was, like, 'Mr. Armani ad.'" Adam smiled and Doug continued. "And then, woo! When Dennis came on, and he and Hanson nearly killed each other?"

"So you mean nothing has changed?" Everyone, even Dennis and Tom, laughed at Harry's good-natured joke. Ioki continued. "But, correct me if I'm wrong captain, I do think that you and I are the only two here that Judy never kissed."

Penhall grinned. Booker raised his eyebrows. Hoffs glared.

Hanson looked at Doug suspiciously.

"I _knew_ it!" Tom said.

"Oh, real nice, _Harry_!" Judy cocked her head to the side and sighed.

Doug raised his hands in mock defeat. "You've got me, Iok. Yes, it's true! But don't worry, everyone. The almost-affair of Hoffs and Penhall never happened. Although charmed by my sensitivity and wit, I think she was intimidated by my large 'manhood.'"

"That's _bull_, Penhall!" Hoffs fought back, clearly trying to hold back her laughter.

"Yeah," Hanson said, timidly. "I'm… sure that wasn't it?"

"Well, the best man won," Doug replied, smiling at Tom before reaching across the table for their signature handshake.

"Yeah," Booker said quietly when the other two finished, "The best man won." He reached across to shake Tom's hand. Hanson accepted.

"It's very cute, all of this male bonding. Good for all you _guys_. But enough about _my_ personal life," Judy cut in. "Captain, you called this meeting. I'd say we're all ready to meet."

"Yes," Adam began, "There's no real purpose for today. I just wanted to all be together… one last time." Fuller noted the look of confusion on Booker's face. "Hanson and Hoffs are leaving today." He directed his attention at Hanson. "From what I understand, the Mustang is all packed and you two are heading out as soon as I dismiss you?" Tom nodded. "Detective Hoffs, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you'll be greatly missed while you're on leave, and I hope that you'll consider returning to the Jump Street program when you come back to the force."

"Captain, there's no other place I'd rather be." Judy's eyes began to well with tears and Tom squeezed her hand in support.

"Good," Fuller continued. "And Hanson… It's hard to imagine not having you here at Jump Street, or on the force at all. We've lost a good cop. But the world is gaining a good man. I know that whatever you do next, whatever gifts and challenges life brings to you, you'll face them head on and with great success."

"Thank you sir," Hanson replied, looking down and licking his lips, clearly also moved by the captain's farewell.

. . .

Hanson looked across the room as Judy stood with Harry and the captain, saying their goodbyes. Very subtly, Penhall slid a small black box into Tom's jacket pocket.

"Thanks, man," Tom whispered, keeping an eye on Judy. "It's impossible to hide anything from that woman. It's no wonder she made Detective."

"So you're proposing tonight?" Penhall asked, taking great care to speak in the softest whisper he'd ever done in his entire life.

"Yup," Hanson replied before pausing and running the back of his hand across his mouth in worry. "She'll say yes, right?" Doug smiled and clapped Hanson on the back.

"She'll say yes." The best friends shook hands again and exchanged a quick man hug.

"Trust me," Penhall continued, "When the road trip is done, everything will happen like you planned. You two will buy a house outside the city. Judy will commute in and come back to work at Jump Street. You'll open your bowling alley, you know, to have a little fun and bring in some cash while you figure out the age-old question of what the heck you really wanna do with the rest of your life."

"Yeah," Hanson grinned. "Pretty much the two most important questions you ever have to ask—to yourself and another person—I'm doing today."

"Just one today," Penhall reassured him, surprised and secretly tickled at the nervousness of his coolest and most confident friend. "Just one."

"So today is kind of like, a happy ending or something?" Tom joked, trying to shake his nerves. At the same time, he and Doug both glanced over at Booker, standing alone, obviously watching Judy.

"Not for _him_," Doug answered. "But for _you_ and Hoffs? Yeah. I'd say it's the part in the storybook where everything is perfect and it says, 'The End.'"

"The end…" Hanson repeated after Penhall slowly, his gaze still on Dennis. Tom could see how much Judy truly meant to the guy, and almost felt bad for him. Almost. "Nah, I think Judy and I should write something else. 'The Beginning.'"

"Absolutely!" Doug saw his best friend's confidence come back, and eagerly hugged him goodbye one last time, nearly squeezing all the air out of Tom. "To 'The Beginning!'"

. . .

Judy waved farewell to her closest colleagues and friends, all four of them standing side-by-side in a line. Her sadness at leaving them was quelled by knowing that she'd be back soon—and that being with Hanson alone, the time was likely to pass and be so wonderful that it would feel like too soon. As she and Tom turned to walk out of the door, Judy's eyes caught Booker's, and she could see clearly in his gaze that he was asking her one last time to stay with him. Softly, Hoffs tugged on Hanson's hand to stop and gave him a meaningful look. He clearly understood, and nodded.

In front of everyone, Judy turned back and walked up to Booker. They hadn't had a one-one-one goodbye, so slowly, she reached up to hug him again. Dennis clung to her, and she whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear.

"You'll be okay," she said, "and we'll always be friends." Dennis nodded his head, reluctantly let her go, and then nodded once more at Hanson as if to say thanks.

"Something in my eye," he said, turning his head and walking away from the group.

Judy joined Tom again, and they waved one last farewell to Jump Street.

. . .

"Penhall just asked me what I want to do with the rest of my life." This time, Hanson pulled on Hoff's hand to stop moving. He turned to face her while they spoke.

"Oh yeah?" Judy raised her eyebrows playfully. "So what do you want to do?" Tom's gaze, and his voice, became serious and soft.

"Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Good answer." Judy smiled, having to catch her breath. "So… does this mean I get that ring in your pocket _now,_ or later?" Her eyes sparkled in silent laughter as she watched his mouth fall open handsome face crinkle in defeat. But Hanson pulled himself together quickly, and wrapped his arms around her slim waist to draw her body into his. He automatically seemed more relaxed than earlier and grinned slyly.

"Well _now, _as punishment, Detective_,_ I _absolutely_ plan to make you wait," Hanson said. "Until you least expect it..."

"I hope not too long," Judy replied, just before Hanson's lips pressed against hers. His kiss lasted a long time and she held on to him to tight. But then, besides Tom's body, Judy felt something pressing against her back. Something hard, and square. She broke from Hanson's kiss and he followed her eyes to see what the disturbance was.

Behind them, Penhall held the captain's briefcase and had it pressed against Judy's back, lightly pushing her and Hanson out of the way of the chapel's back stairs. Fuller and Ioki stood behind Doug, rolling their eyes.

"One day, they'll learn!" Penhall exclaimed, walking down the stairs with the other two behind him.

Hoffs and Hanson ignored them all, and went right on back to kissing.

- The End -

_(or better yet…) _

- THE BEGINNING -


End file.
